Urban Legend: The Sequel
by Ghost of the Dawn
Summary: Co written with Willowsandgables. A somewhat sequel to Urban Legend to tie up some loose ends from the first story. Less monsters, more fluff and comedy in this one.
1. Chapter 1

**.**

 **Urban Legend: The Sequel**

 **By: Ty-Chou and Willowsandgables**

 **Chapter 1**

Rowen instantly glanced down at his phone when it pinged and was immediately disappointed when he saw who it was. He openly frowned when he read the message from Robyn:

 _'How about more greenery, less flowers? I know we're trying to stay away from whites, but ivory doesn't count, does it? What do you think of this for centerpieces?'_

Rowen immediately texted back in his irritation: _'I don't care. Get whatever. I'm busy.'_

The response was quick: _'You are the worst fiancé ever. I'm so glad I'm giving you back today.'_

He chose not to get into it with her. Robyn had been playing "surrogate fiancée" in planning the Hashiba-Sundari wedding for the past few months while Regan was still in the states. Regan had been involved as best she could while wedding plans occurred via text, phone calls, Skype sessions, and a whole lot of emails. Most of which rarely involved Rowen, since wedding planning baffled him and he didn't quite understand that telling his bride-to-be "do whatever you want" wasn't helpful.

None of that mattered to Rowen. He would marry her in a back alley if it meant she would stay with him for the rest of their lives. He didn't care how it happened as long as it happened. Especially when Robyn was still trying to get him to make some last minute decisions from work while something far more important was happening right now. And Robyn needed to stop blowing up his phone so he could pay attention to that more important thing.

Amidst the bustle and noise of the airport, Rowen still finally, finally heard the polite announcement that Regan's flight had landed. His heart pitter-patted in a ragtime dance when he confirmed it on the ever-changing flight board. She was here in this country. So close and still so far away.

Moments later, Regan texted him that they were off the plane. Rowen tapped a restless rhythm against his thigh and stared at the line of people coming in from the gates, searching for his fiancée (it still give him a thrill to think that. He also said it at every possible opportunity). When they spotted each other, a grin split his face. He bounced on the balls of his feet and waved like a maniac. Regan grinned back and laughed, nearly dancing in place as she waved. She was adorable in leggings, boots, and a slouchy gray sweater that kept slipping down her shoulder, and Rowen wanted to shove every slow asshole in front of her out of the way to scoop her up in his arms. Her hair looked so soft and shiny. Three months felt like three _years_. He barely noticed the man walking next to her.

Regan broke free of the line first, but didn't get far; Rowen met her and crushed her to him with a satisfaction he could not articulate. She was laughing as she held him for dear life and buried her head in his shoulder.

"Hey, baby," she said, relief in her voice. All the hours of travel, all the packing and arrangements and planning and stress had been worth it for the look on his face when he saw her. Regan had never felt so loved in her life, or been so happy to see someone. Her fiancé was warm and real and solid in her arms, instead of a voice on the line or on her computer screen. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you, too," he murmured, his throat tight. "Can we never do that again?"

"Never," she laughed. She pulled away to give him a quick, firm kiss, and then just beamed at him. "I'm digging the outfit, Professor." She tugged on the brown tweed blazer, the blue collared shirt underneath. "Really embracing the nerd look today."

"Always." Rowen was grinning so hard his cheeks hurt. He kissed her again, then pressed his forehead against hers. "Welcome home, Rae."

Her eyes misted with emotion. "It's good to be home." She glanced around for a moment. "Where's my other bae?"

"Robyn couldn't make it, her work couldn't allow her the day off. Important stuff going on." When Regan stuck out her lower lip in disappointment, Rowen laughed and added, "She made that same face. We'll see her tonight at dinner which, I guess, is now an impromptu engagement party of sorts."

"Fun! I can't wait!"

A male voice cleared his throat. "Dolly, are you going to hog him all day or do I get to meet him?

Regan pulled away from Rowen and aimed a megawatt smile at Jude Sundari, her twin brother. "Yes! Judy, this is Rowen Hashiba, my fiancé. Rowen, this is my brother, Jude. As you know, Rowen is a professor at Toyama University, just like dad was."

"The professor part, not the Toyama part," Jude clarified wryly.

He thought Rowen might bow to him as was the Japanese custom, but instead, Rowen extended his hand in a western greeting and the two of them shook hands. This Hashiba guy was taller than he expected, and he sized this interloper up in every way. Even though Rowen remained cool under the mental inspection, Jude wasn't so convinced that this guy was the right one for his only sibling. No matter how much she gushed about him. He didn't miss her effort to make a connection to their father in the hopes that Jude would give him a chance, and it made his heart hurt a little. She was trying so hard. It wasn't that he didn't want her to be happy, but damn. Not like this.

When Jude had first found out from his twin that she was engaged to some guy in Japan and was set on moving there right away, he was livid. No amount of reasoning could persuade his sister that this was a crazy, stupid decision and she should seriously reconsider. It was wildly out of character, and even though she could admit that out loud, it didn't make her back down from this ridiculous endeavor. Before he knew it, here he was, fresh from the New Year's holiday in motherfucking Japan. There were still tendrils of bitterness eating at him despite seeing Regan glow like he had never seen before. Maybe because of it.

"Thank you for coming all this way," Rowen said to him. The previous warmth he'd directed at Rae was gone. He looked more aloof now; neutral and careful. But that didn't matter. Jude had a…knack for sensing other people's emotions. And Rowen was a little nervous.

Jude's smile carried a hint of bared teeth. "My pleasure. Truly. It's nice to finally meet you."

"Likewise." Rowen fell silent, and then filled it again with, "Regan mentioned that you're a psychologist."

Jude nodded. "I work with at-risk youth. I just finished my Master's, and my next certification is for rehabilitation counseling."

Rowen whistled. "That's challenging work."

 _Because I'm not a genius like you?_ Jude gave him a subtle side-eye. "It can be."

Regan watched her fiancé and her brother interact and held her breath. On the surface it was going well, but she knew Jude still wasn't on board. He'd taken the news as hard as she'd expected. It had surprised and pleased her, though, when he arranged a month off to be here for the wedding. Regan had every intention of using the opportunity to win Jude over, to help him see Rowen for who he really was. Rowen didn't have any siblings, and having Jude as her twin was one of the greatest joys of Rae's life. She wanted them to like each other.

This current neutral ground, though, was as good as she'd get for now. Regan wrapped an arm around her brother's waist and squeezed. "Let's go get our bags."

"You mean my bags, and all your worldly possessions."

Regan let that one go, since his voice carried a faint wintry bite and she didn't want to antagonize him. Yes, she had to part with things in her apartment that couldn't make it across the ocean, and that had kind of sucked, and he knew it. But they were just things. God knew she'd started over with nothing but the clothes on her back before; she could do it again.

"Didn't you live here for six months out of three suitcases?" Rowen asked.

She flashed him a grateful smile. "Almost took home an extra suitcase. Clothes are a weakness. I'm sorry in advance."

"As long as you let me wear them, too, I'm sure we can work something out."

Jude rolled his eyes as his sister laughed like she did when he could really get her going. It wasn't that funny. He followed the pair out of the airport and into the bitter cold.

It never got this cold back home.

* * *

"Hey man, thanks for picking me up," Kento said as he climbed into the passenger side of Ryo's small truck. Robyn, who was already seated inside, slid to the middle of the bench-style seat to make room for him. "I thought my ride would be out of the shop by now, but I guess it still needed more work."

"Is this still from when you ran into that tree last summer?" Robyn asked.

"It's a little of that. She definitely hasn't been the same since. But also I take it off-roading sometimes and my suspension is pretty much shot." As Ryo backed his truck out of the parking lot, Kento glanced down at Robyn. "You look nice."

"Thanks," she replied with a grin. "I had an important day at work and we've got the party tonight so I just thought I'd go all out."

Despite her large coat against the January chill, it was clear Robyn had put more effort into her look than normal, even for her regular work attire. She wore a jade green dress that flared out to her knees over black tights and tan ankle booties. Even her coat was nice; black and casually elegant. A golden pendant hung around her neck. Robyn was wearing a touch of makeup, too. Had he ever even _seen_ her wearing eye shadow and lipstick?

"You're making Ryo and I look very under dressed."

Robyn glanced over at Ryo who was in a pair of worn jeans and a sweater. He didn't even bother with a coat since he never got cold. Kento was dressed pretty much the same, though a little more appropriately for the winter weather.

"Nah, you guys are fine." She gave a dismissive gesture. "No one's going to care what you look like, as long as you're there."

She gave Ryo a friendly nudge with her arm and he smiled before returning his attention back to the road. It had begun to snow lightly and the roads were wet. At a good twenty minutes before six, it was already dark outside. The street lights reflected on the wet streets as they made their way out of the city and towards the wooded area near the mountains. It remained rather quiet in the cab for several minutes. Usually, they were more talkative than this.

"Long day?" Robyn asked of Ryo. Trying to get any words out of him since he had picked her up had been a chore.

He fought back a yawn. "Yeah, pretty long."

"A bad day?" she ventured to guess. As an EMT, some of Ryo's work days were much more grueling on the soul than others.

"Not too bad. Just long."

Robyn glanced over at Kento and they shared a secret smile. Five words out of him at once. Not bad.

As they began the incline toward the woods, the snow no longer melted when it hit the ground. By the time the lights of the Koji mansion were seen ahead, the road was completely covered in white. There were other, familiar vehicles parked outside when they pulled up.

Kento helped Robyn out of the truck and they both stepped carefully. In the city, there was barely any snow, but out here, everything was covered with a good few inches of white. Robyn kept one hand on Kento's arm to steady herself in her slippery boots. The other held a white binder. Ryo joined them on the porch, but his gaze wandered off toward the forest in the distance.

"No, no. Not tonight," Robyn teased. "You can go brood in the mountains with your tiger another time. Come on, can't turn down free food, right?" She continued to smile at him. Ryo said he hadn't had too bad of a day, but Robyn wondered if maybe he just didn't want to talk about it. Ryo's job weighed on him more than he liked to let on. She smiled at him until a smile of his own began to pull at the side of his mouth.

"There you go. Tonight's going to be fun, right?"

The smile was more genuine now. "Right."

"And if White Blaze shows up, you know someone will let him in anyway," she added with a wink.

Kento opened the front door as no one ever knocked when entering this familiar house. Warm yellow light spilled in from the interior and the three stepped inside. Instantly, there was light, sound and people.

Before Robyn could fully take in the festive main room of the mansion—Christmas tree still glittering in one corner—she heard a feminine squeal as a body flew at her and threw their arms around her shoulders.

"There you are!" Regan cried, wide grin in her voice. "I missed you! I can't believe I had to wait all day to finally see you!"

"Yeah, sorry about that," Robyn said into her shoulder. "Your flight came right during an important meeting. But I'm here now." Regan finally pulled away and let her go and the two friends looked each other in the face. "All of us are back here now."

"The way it's supposed to be," Regan agreed. "It feels good to be here. Coming back is starting to feel like coming home."

"And how's Jude been handling it?" Robyn then asked carefully.

The brunette gave a slight nod toward the back of the house. "Right now he's helping in the kitchen and keeping himself occupied with charming Cye's mother."

Robyn smirked. "That sounds about right."

"Other than that, he's been a little sulky."

"It's to be expected. I don't blame him for feeling that way." Robyn finally raised the white binder she had in her arms and offered it to Regan. "I present to you The Wedding Binder. It's got all your contacts, contracts, deposits, and a calendar of your remaining appointments. Take it and go with God."

Regan received it gratefully. "Seriously, thank you so much. I don't know what I would have done without you."

"You would have had to wait until next year if you still wanted a January wedding," was Robyn's remark.

Even as the two had flown back to the United States last fall, they were making the plans that would eventually lead them to that moment. At first, they were returning with a future uncertain of when their next reunion with the ronins would be. Rowen's last-second and panicked proposal had changed everything. Regan jumped into the engagement with both feet and Robyn certainly didn't mind following her.

When the girls hit American soil, they were already putting their plans in motion. Robyn immediately contacted her old job with Japan and was given back her position in the company. She returned to Japan as a more permanent resident only a few weeks later and currently lived with Cye's mother until she had saved enough to rent her own place.

For Regan, it took a little while longer. She still had other projects to finish for her employers and she had volunteered to be the one to stay behind to get all loose ends tied up for both girls before she moved to Japan as well, and would soon become an official citizen upon her marriage. A wedding Robyn had been planning in her absence for the past four months.

"I also relinquish Rowen back to your care," Robyn then added. "My duty as his surrogate fiancée is now over. He's your problem now." She leaned in a little closer. "May I suggest getting your own surrogate fiancé from here on out? Getting Rowen to commit to anything was like pulling teeth. Sage has been far more helpful at making decisions."

Regan laughed. "I'll keep that in mind."

At that point, Kento took his turn to greet Regan with a big hug while Robyn turned to hang up her coat. Ryo had already gone before her and padded off to the kitchen. Most likely looking for Mia. Rowen met Robyn at the coat rack.

"I have some disagreements to your insinuation that I am troublesome," Rowen informed her. He already had a drink in his hand. "Just because I have no sense for these wedding decisions. Isn't it easier for you just make them on your own?"

"It's not my wedding!" Robyn barked at him. Not for the first time. "I shouldn't be the one who makes these decisions! I'm not getting married!"

Rowen hushed her and leaned in. "Don't say it too loud or stray cats are going to start congregating at your door."

Robyn's mouth fell open in mock offense as Rowen sauntered off to canoodle with his bride-to-be.

When he gave her a smug side look, she flipped him off.

"Right, right," Kento agreed as he took Robyn's shoulders and steered her toward the kitchen. "You're still too young for crazy cat lady status. Let's go see everyone else."

It seemed all the other occupants of the house had collected in the kitchen and the adjoining dining room. Magnificent, mouth-watering smells drifted in from that direction, as well as the sound of casual conversation. As Robyn entered, a tall young man from the back of the kitchen perked up.

"Hey! There she is!" He skirted around Cye's mother, who was watching the pots on the stove. He, of course, had a drink in his hand and set it on the counter before sweeping Robyn up in a big hug. Robyn greatly enjoyed the embrace.

Jude Sundari was finally in Toyama, and the female population of Japan wouldn't know what hit them.

It wasn't that he was gorgeous, Robyn mused as he lifted her off her feet. Although he _was_ gorgeous, with his jet black hair, smooth brown skin, and pale green eyes identical to Rae's. Lean, yet solid muscle that came from swimming and rowing. Effortlessly stylish in a black bomber jacket, nice dark jeans, and a white t-shirt. It was because Jude wore charisma like men wore cologne. When he aimed that slow, killer smile at Robyn, her heart unconsciously picked up its pace. He had a way of looking at women that made them feel _significant_ , that they knew they had his undivided attention and they could tell him anything. Jude made women feel known, heard, and beautiful. He'd been doing it to Robyn for six years.

"How was the flight?" Robyn asked when he put her back down.

"Tiring. But look at you," Jude replied as he appraised her appearance. He took Robyn's hand and slowly twirled her around so the skirt of her dress flared. "This is a good color on you. Puts a glow on your skin and makes your eyes pop. How was your New Year's? Say lonely and miserable without me."

"I didn't think of you once," she teased.

"Liar," he said in her ear. He kissed her temple. "Your Christmas gift is in my luggage, I'm sorry, I forgot to bring it. We missed you. You could have stayed longer."

The sound of Kento clearing his throat interrupted Robyn's reply and she was suddenly reminded of Hardrock's presence.

"Oh, I'm sorry. This is Kento. Kento, this is Regan's twin, Jude."

Said twin stepped forward to shake hands. He was a good head taller than Kento; very clean cut and professional. But there was boyish mischief in his eyes. Something about him had Kento staring.

"Yes?" Jude tested when the handshake had gone on a little too long.

"I know you're related to Regan and all, but you're prettier than I'd thought you'd be," Kento said.

Jude quirked a brow. "You think I'm pretty, huh?" He was smirking with every word. "Why, thank you."

Kento's face suddenly flushed and he dropped the hand he was holding. "That was not how I meant—I have other things to do." And with that, Hardrock retreated to the back part of the kitchen.

Jude was still smirking after him when Robyn hit him on the arm. "Judy, be nice to my friends. English is like Kento's third language. Don't make fun of him if he says something weird, you ass."

Jude raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, sorry, sorry. I admit, I'm being an ass."

"I know you're still irritated about Regan getting married, but don't take it out on my friends. They're good guys, okay?"

"I'll try to behave myself." Jude paused and then looked Robyn up and down, appraising her appearance once more. "Seriously, you are entirely too pretty tonight to waste that outfit on a dinner at home. Why don't we go somewhere after? I need to take you out and show you off."

She flushed a little, but continued to smile with confidence. "Trust me, jet lag's going to hit you hard. You're going to be exhausted before you know it."

Jude leaned down to speak lowly in her ear. "Sweetheart, seeing you like this makes me feel like I've got enough energy to stay up all night."

Robyn flushed a little warmer. The tickle of his voice, his breath, sent tingles all the way down to her toes. She knew he was doing it on purpose. The smug bastard did it because he knew he could get a rise out of her. At that moment, Mia and Ryo walked in, talking to themselves. Robyn immediately used this as an opportunity to get some space.

"Oh, you probably haven't met Ryo yet. Ryo, this is Regan's brother Jude."

Ryo, who had a canned soda in his hand—he was driving that night and, since the White Blaze pancake incident, didn't drink as much anyways—merely nodded at Jude in acknowledgment. There was a certain guarded politeness in his demeanor that Robyn chalked up to him still being a bit moody.

"Sage is the only one who isn't here," Mia spoke up. "He had a late class and the snow is slowing him down. We're trying to drag it out a little, but he said don't wait for him to start dinner. In fact," she set her own drink down and fished her phone out of a pocket, "I might call him to see where he is."

As she excused herself, Cye came in, gave everyone a quick greeting and then joined his mother in the kitchen to check on the food and properly tell Kento to stop putting his fingers in everything.

That was about when Jude leaned into Robyn's ear and said, "So which one of these douche bags broke your heart?"

Robyn froze as ice and mortification set in. Next to them, Ryo suddenly choked on his drink and broke into a coughing fit.

"That is not what happened," Robyn insisted with a hiss and immediately left the dining area. She couldn't believe Regan told Jude about that. Well, maybe she could, but she was still irritated that he knew. She went back to the living room to give her best friend a piece of her mind, only to find the engaged couple in each others' arms, getting a little too hot and heavy for being a guest at someone else's house.

"Oh, for the love of crap," she grouched.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Jude snapped as he followed, getting the couple's attention. "How about you two leave a little room for Jesus!"

Regan actually barked out a laugh at that. Her sexual life was certainly far less lascivious than that of her brother's by far.

Now, Robyn was a little irritated with both twins. And Jude was certainly going to dog her until he not only heard the whole story, but had psychoanalyzed how she felt about it. There was going to be no getting away from him. If she fled to any part of the house, he would follow. She suddenly considered calling White Blaze herself to keep him at bay.

But before she could concoct any plan of escape, the front door opened as the last guest stepped in. Sage tapped the snow off his shoes before removing them and hung up his coat.

"Sage, great! You're here," Robyn said with a little too much relief in her voice. "This is Regan's twin brother."

Jude didn't miss a beat. "Man, Rob, you know too many people. I hope this is the last one. Hi, I'm Jude."

Once his coat had been removed, Sage turned and set his icy, violet eyes on Jude Sundari. The hand extended to him was frozen in mid air.

"Hello," Sage said simply, and stood there. Robyn sidled up next to him.

Jude lowered his hand, but met the blond man's gaze. The two stared at each other for a moment, sizing each other up. Some sort of beautiful-man mental competition, Robyn mused as she watched them. As if they were trying to figure out who was the alpha bishounen in the room.

Jude was the first to crack. And he cracked more quickly than he probably anticipated. Those intense eyes broke him. His eyebrow twitched before the rest of him fell from a confident stance into a retreat.

"Well, if everyone's here, I'm going to let the kitchen know," Jude announced and quickly walked out of the room.

Robyn let out a breath as he left. Hopefully that was enough to dissuade him from any other awkward conversations while in the company of everyone she knew.

"Hi, Sage," Regan greeted. She seemed to hesitate to reach out to him, but Sage's cool demeanor thawed and he embraced her.

"Welcome back," he said. "This marks the end of incessant melodramatic texting from Rowen, and for that, I thank you."

Regan laughed. "I'm so sorry. And thank _you_ for stepping in and helping Robyn with some of the planning. I hope you don't mind if I solicit your opinion a few more times before this is over."

He smiled in understanding. "Not at all."

* * *

With everyone present, dinner quickly made it to the dining room, and everyone took their seats. Cye's mother beamed at having all of them at the table. "Despite the weather outside, we thought tonight was the perfect excuse to celebrate another engagement in the family. Rowen and Regan, we're so happy for you, and wish you a life full of love and happiness."

"Hear hear!" Kento raised his glass, and the rest of the table followed suit.

"Thank you for this, everyone," Regan said. "And thank you for your help to make this transition easier, since it really hadn't been part of the plan." She ended on a teasing note and nudged Rowen with her elbow.

"To be fair, there wasn't a plan," Robyn added.

"We didn't have a plan," Regan agreed.

" _I_ had a plan," Rowen said.

"No you didn't," Regan and Sage said at the same time.

As Rowen argued with his fiancée and his best friend, the rest of the table set about getting themselves some dinner and passing the food around. When Jude passed a dish to Kento, their hands accidentally brushed and Kento nearly dropped the plate when the newcomer smiled at him. Goddamn, what was with this guy? Why did he keep acting like an idiot around this dude? Kento regretted sitting next to him.

Fortunately, after everyone had loaded up their plates, Jude seemed more than content to give Robyn all his attention. He asked her in quiet tones about her job and where she was living. Also how much time she planned to give him and when she could start showing him around Toyama. The tone was low and private. Jude leaned in close so he could talk just to her while other parties talked at a louder volume.

No one seemed to notice them canoodling much, except for Cye who sat right across from them, chewing with disapproval. Regan's brother was sitting quite close, tucking a strand of red hair behind Robyn's ear as he said something that made her smile and flush a little. Cye had never seen Robyn act so…girly around any guy. He couldn't recall Robyn ever saying more than a few words about this guy before. Yet, here she seemed positively infatuated with him. They seemed infatuated with each other. Had Cye missed something?

"I can feel the judgment wafting off you," Mia teased in his ear. He turned his frown to her. "They do look cozy," she admitted.

"Very," he said sourly. "He was very charming with my mother, too. She was blushing, for god's sake."

Mia shrugged. "So he knows how to talk to women, there's nothing wrong with that. It didn't feel smarmy. Your mother is still a woman, after all." She slid her blue green eyes back to her husband, then took a sip of wine. "And he _is_ handsome." Cye's scowl deepened, and Mia squeezed his arm affectionately.

They weren't the only ones to notice. "You mentioned you bake, Jude," Mrs. Mouri commented. "Did you bake for Robyn back in the states? She does love her sweets and baked goods."

"Constantly," Jude replied, then winked at Robyn as he added, "I know the way to her heart." Even though it was mostly blocked from view by the table, it was clear when Jude placed a hand on her knee.

 _Snap!_

All conversation at the table suddenly fell silent at the violent breaking noise.

"Ryo," Mia said in surprise, glancing to her left.

Ryo held two broken chopsticks in his hand, and they weren't the cheap bamboo kind. He blinked, as if surprised himself that it happened. Then he muttered a quick apology as he stood and went quickly to the kitchen.

* * *

The drive back to Rowen's took twice as long because of the fresh snowfall, not yet plowed this far into the country and likely wouldn't be until dawn. Talk was minimal to let Rowen concentrate on the road, and Regan scanned the dark forest full of black, naked trees with spindly limbs for any signs of deer.

It was so quiet, in fact, that Jude felt the dreaded jet lag creep up on him that Robyn mentioned. The cold, drab weather, the falling snow, and the silent car ride lulled Jude into a half-sleep. He didn't even feel irritation when he saw Rowen take Rae's hand and interlace their fingers—only sorrow.

When Rowen pulled up to his apartment building, he smiled when he looked over and found Rae asleep, too. He tugged the grey beanie off her head, sending flyaway hairs this and that way, and took pleasure in smoothing her hair down. He went to wake her by tickling her nose, but the opening of a car door and then shutting ruined it. Strata sighed as he watched his future brother-in-law stomp through the powdery snow and up to the front door, while Regan stirred in his peripheral vision. He was not going to feel weird or guilty about touching his fiancée in front of her brother, no matter how miffed he was.

"Are we home?" she asked sleepily.

"Yeah, we're home."

The twins caught their second wind from the shock of the cold outside, and Rowen grabbed linens for Jude to crash on the couch, where he'd stay until his Airbnb stay was ready for him in a few days. Jude thanked him politely, then insisted on setting it up himself. When he finished, he found his sister waiting for him.

"I hope you sleep okay," she said.

"Probably not as good as you're going to sleep," he said, then made a face. Regan laughed. "I deeply regret saying that."

"Want some earplugs?"

"Oh my god, shut up."

She grinned. "I'm sorry." Regan hugged her brother tight, and he gave a long suffering sigh and returned it. "See you in the morning, Judy. And…thanks again. I know this is hard."

 _Only like watching my twin sister go off to live across the world with a fucking stranger_ , he thought, but gave her a quick smile and bid her goodnight. Thank the Lord that he was the empath of the family and not her.

Rowen was in front of his closet when Regan entered the bedroom and locked the door behind her. He closed his eyes as she wrapped her arms around his waist to hug him from behind.

"Is he settled in?"

"Mmmhmm." Her fingers danced up his stomach. Rowen turned around until he could hold her close to him, and leaned down until their noses brushed.

"From the moment I saw you again I couldn't wait to get you alone." Strata's voice was low and laid bare with wanting. He couldn't stop touching her; his skin craved hers after the loss of it for months.

"And now you have me," Regan breathed, her own fingers questing underneath his sweater and pushing up the material. She tugged until he helped her remove it. "Do what you wish, Professor, because I am all yours." She rose on her tip toes to kiss his neck, then nip his earlobe. "Tonight and every night."

Their mouths met in a deep, starving kiss, broken only when Rowen frantically pulled up Regan's sweater and tossed it aside. He walked her backwards to the bed, hand fisted in her hair, her hands already tugging at the waistband of his jeans. Rowen lifted her up and pulled her in his lap as he sat. She let out a breathless laugh, then covered her own mouth to stifle it. Rowen's eyes twinkled and he put a finger to his lips. She nodded.

Remembering that her brother was right in the other room, both quelled the urge to devour the other like they wanted to, and took it slower. Regan adorned Rowen's neck with kisses as he ran his hands over her smooth skin, feeling behind her back for bra strap hooks. His fingers closed over them and they released with a satisfying snap, and dear god her lips on his skin felt amazing—

"Hey, Rowen?"

They froze.

The couple stared at one another, and an adorable flush spread across Rae's cheeks.

Rowen cleared his throat. "Yeah?"

"Where are your towels? I'm going to shower tonight."

Exasperation joined Regan's embarrassment. "He's doing this on purpose," she sighed. "I'll help him."

She plucked her sweater from the floor and tugged it back on to meet Jude out in the hallway. Regan glared, but Jude only widened his eyes innocently.

"I'm sorry, were you sleeping?" he asked.

"I hate you."

"That's a strong statement to someone who just apologized."

Regan grabbed a towel and showed him how to use the shower. "Do this again and I'll cut you," she said sweetly.

"All because I want to be clean? Regan, this is so unlike you. Cleanliness is next to godliness."

She would not find that funny, she would _not_ find that funny. Lips twitching, Regan shoved the towel at her brother and walked away.

"It's probably weird for him," Rowen conceded when she came back in and shut the door.

"Probably," she agreed. "But do you know who doesn't care? Me. Do you know why?" Regan sat back down on Rowen's lap and snuggled up to him. "I haven't touched you in three months, and I've missed you beyond words." As she spoke, she brushed her lips across Rowen's face, down to his jaw, shoulders, and neck. "I can't stand the thought of sleeping right next to you, all night, without getting my hands on you. We'll be quiet."

They heard the shower turn on, and used the noise to cover quiet moans and gasps. The sweater disappeared again, and two pairs of pants fell to the floor. Rowen was just working his way down Regan's stomach with his mouth, her erratic breathing and whispers of encouragement spurring him on, when an entirely different sound emerged above the distant running water.

Singing.

Jude was singing in the shower. Loudly.

"I'll kill him," Regan said conversationally.

A ripple of laughter coursed through Rowen, and he rested his head on her stomach. It was hard to keep up the momentum when an admittedly decent rendition of Queen's Fat Bottomed Girls rang out from the bathroom. "He's pretty good."

Jude's long shower and singing continued and effectively killed the mood, so they got under the covers and cuddled instead. "He has to sleep eventually," Rowen said.

"He can be dedicated to a cause when he finds one," Regan worried. "And if I don't get in your pants tonight, I'm going to be pretty damn salty tomorrow."

Rowen put his hand on his heart. "That was the most romantic thing you've ever said to me."

It went on for another hour—Jude singing, then drying his hair, then banging around in the living room, then calling one of his friends and having a completely unnecessary, and unnecessarily loud, conversation. Regan made herself feel better by talking shit about her brother and then texting him gifs to describe her murderous feelings towards him.

To her deep disappointment, she fell asleep while waiting for him to quiet down, but woke sometime later, still nestled in Rowen's arms.

"Did you have a nice nap?" he asked. His quiet, masculine murmur made her shiver with pleasure. Oh my goodness, she could wake up to this _all the time_ now. She nodded. He set down the book he'd been reading, and she stared into his gorgeous eyes while she listened for any sound outside the door. "He fell asleep not too long ago," Rowen added.

"We can't wake him, or I'll have to kick him outside," Regan whispered.

Rowen smirked, and then his expression grew serious. "I have something for you."

He shifted and took something out of the bedside dresser. Something small that neatly fit in the palm of his hand. His eyes darted up to hers, almost shyly, and he looked back down at it as he spoke. "I know you said you didn't need one because the wedding's so soon. And I know how you feel about diamonds, and the cost—I promise it was more than reasonable. I saw it and I knew it was yours. And…" he swallowed, a hard lump suddenly getting in the way. "I haven't told you how much I appreciate you uprooting your entire life to be here with me. I didn't make this easy on you, and you just rolled with it. I think you deserve a pretty ring for that."

Regan's laugh was watery as he took her hand and slid the engagement ring on her right ring finger. It was delicate, elegant; a narrow twist of vines and leaves in rose gold, set with a small, deep blue sapphire. Perfect. It was perfect. Regan threw her arms around him in a fierce hug. "It's gorgeous, thank you," she said in his ear, her heart full to bursting. She sealed her gratitude with a kiss.

This time, there were no interruptions, but they were careful to be quiet. It was Rowen's idea to build a blanket fort on his bed with pillows, then tuck them underneath the blankets. The silliness of it made Regan laugh into his skin before his hands distracted her, and she had to occasionally cover his mouth to stifle his groans and gasps as her own hands wandered low and teased. They took their time, letting their bodies greet one another again after so long. After they had teased each other to the brink, Regan pulled him to the floor and climbed into his lap.

They made love slowly and deeply, driving each other wild with their attempts to stay quiet. Regan's fingernails dug into Rowen's shoulders as she shook and gasped into his neck, and Rowen crushed her to him and muffled his groans into her hair. When they recovered, they snuck to the bathroom and back into bed like children hiding from their parents, shushing each other when they laughed too loudly.

Rowen wrapped his fiancée in his arms and fell asleep with a smile on his face.

* * *

She could see the Milky Way.

Regan marveled at the vast beauty in front of her, stars filling the canvas of the night sky and coalescing around a wide strip of brilliant blue and violet. She had only ever seen the Milky Way once, but this…this view was something special.

She tore her eyes away from it when she realized she wasn't alone. A familiar energy brushed gently against her, and Regan looked down to where the starlight and moonlight glinted on metal.

Strata stood before her.

A jolt of surprise, and a little fear, coursed through her. Because it didn't feel like a dream. She felt Strata's presence as surely as she'd felt it during that final battle with the monster in the mountain village. It looked as she remembered; elegant and majestic, lean and tall like Rowen, at once archaic and timeless. Rowen was not inside—the open face area was dark.

It didn't _feel_ empty, however. It felt like something watched her from the blank opening. Curiously, Regan's fear melted away because of its presence instead of escalating.

The armor didn't move—it waited. Regan felt compelled to address it. It was a part of Rowen, after all, intrinsically tied to him, like the color of his eyes. She took a few hesitant steps forward, and then stopped just shy of it.

"Thank you for protecting him," she said softly. "He means so much to me, and I feel better about his role and his purpose knowing that…that you're looking out for him, too." At least, I think you are, she thought.

When had she decided it was something more than an armor, something worth addressing? But the evidence was there, wasn't it? Anything that gave off an energy of its own, like the armors did, had some semblance of life to it. Maybe not full sentience, but all living things possessed instincts, at least. And although "living thing" and "metal armor" were something of an oxymoron, she could suspend her disbelief. For after she spoke, Strata's energy surged forward and didn't just brush against her skin to make it tingle, but brushed against her own energy. Regan gasped at the intimate sensation.

It didn't speak to her, but she received impressions of sorts, the way Jude could when he was manipulating and replicating emotions. Regan felt gratitude that was not hers, affection, and something…deeper than that.

Fascinated, Regan drew closer, heart pounding in her chest. It felt so alive this close. She reached out, hand trembling, and laid it on the cool metal of the breastplate.

She heard the clink of metal before she saw anything move…and then Strata's metal hand closed over her hand.

Regan woke with a start. Rowen slept deeply next to her, his arm draped over waist. She swore she still felt Strata's presence, heavy in the room. She laid her head back down and watched her fiancé sleep. Then covered his hand with hers and kept it there as she drifted back off, Strata's energy still tickling along her skin.


	2. Chapter 2

**Urban Legend: The Sequel**

 **Chapter Two**

"And you're sure it came to you in a dream? You didn't just happen to dream about the Strata armor?" Mia asked.

"No, I don't think so," Regan insisted. "I felt a presence, an extra energy that wasn't mine. I don't know how to better describe it, but there's definitely a difference between having someone in your dreams and just dreaming about someone."

Currently, the two women were walking down the nearly empty walkway at the university where Mia worked. It was a glass bridge located one story above ground level, connecting one building to another. The two women could feel the January chill from outside trying to get through the glass as they went.

"I see," Mia said thoughtfully. When Regan asked if she was free to talk and offer some advice, Mia was quite elated. In truth, she felt a little left out sometimes. Robyn and Regan were so close and she was left on the outskirts. She and Robyn had practically nothing in common aside from the boys, but Regan and Mia were finding more and more common ground as they got to know each other. Mia welcomed the new friendship.

"Did the presence of the armor scare you?"

"No, nothing like that. It felt peaceful, safe." Regan thought back to her dream. How, when she saw it, she had a need to address it as if it were a person. "It's just that before today, I thought I understood what the armors are, but now I'm not sure. When I saw it in my dreams, it's like it had a consciousness and it was trying to communicate with me. I thought since you're married to one of them, you might know what I'm talking about. Have you ever felt like Torrent has its own...I don't know...cognizance?"

Mia took a moment to think about it. "I would have to say there is a certain consciousness to the armors. I'd even go so far as to say each armor has a different personality. And, come to think of it, each armor bearer has a different relationship with their armors."

By then, the two women had made it to the parking garage and were approaching Mia's car where they were going out to lunch.

"They have different relationships?" Regan asked in confusion. "Can you give me an example?"

After starting the car, Mia turned down the radio so they could continue their conversation while she drove. "Sage has a very tremulous relationship with Halo. I think he trusted it when he was younger, but in his older teens, there was an incident that really shattered that trust for him. I think there was a point where he may have even hated it. These days, while he's more accepting of Halo, I think he still lives with a careful regard for it."

"What happened?" Regan asked, intrigued.

"I'm afraid that's something you would have to get from Sage. I don't think he would like me going into details. It was a very traumatic and personal experience for him."

Regan nodded in understanding.

"Kento's a bit of the same. During the battle with Talpa, all the boys and myself learned so much about the armors. Kento found out that they had been used by evil men before to kill. The armors had a lot of blood in their history. This was really a shock, especially for Kento. He had a hard time accepting that the armors had killed in the past. For a while, Kento was afraid that the very nature of the Hardrock armor especially was evil and it might overtake him and use him to take innocent lives."

"Which isn't true, right?"

Mia gave a quick glance to Regan's concerned face and smiled. "No. The armors are influenced by the intentions of the wearer, not the other way around. As long as good people wear the armors, the armors themselves seem to be good.

"Kento really likes Hardrock now, but he's still wary about its power. Hardrock is easily the most destructive of the armors. The surekill tears up everything around it. It's not an attack he uses unless he absolutely has to."

Regan remained quiet, worrying her lip as she mulled over this new information. The armors were capable of evil if worn by evil people? She hadn't even considered that a possibility, but it made sense. Cognizant or no, they were still armors, and the will and intent of the wearer would probably be stronger—even if that wearer wanted to do evil things. Could such a person take Strata from Rowen and turn it against him?

"Now, Cye," Mia then said, derailing Regan's train of thought, "he has quite a healthy relationship with Torrent. It's been a good armor to him. He told me he always felt he and Torrent worked as one in battle and they were unstoppable in the water. But by the time the black Inferno armor appeared, he was emotionally worn from the fighting. A part of him wanted to blame it all on Torrent and he tried to push the armor away, even banish it from himself—"

"I'm sorry, can we back up?" Regan interrupted. "What is the black Inferno armor?"

"Rowen didn't tell you about that? It was about five years after Talpa."

"No, I guess he didn't get to that."

"Most likely not on purpose. There is a lot of history to go through. You'll catch up eventually. I'm sure Rowen will be happy to tell you everything. Maybe even more than you ever wanted to know."

Mia's teasing tone was not reflected in Regan, who stared at the dashboard as a sobering thought occurred to her.

"It will never be over, will it? There is always going to be something the guys will have to fight. What happened last summer, that wasn't some isolated incident, it was just the next evil power that was drawn to them; or them to it. Eventually, something else will come along. Maybe something even more dangerous."

"Maybe," Mia agreed in a soft voice. "Unfortunately, that's the way it is. And marrying any one of them is putting yourself in that danger. It kills the guys inside to know that having a partner means that their world is now our world. Cye has told me it's kept him awake many a night.

"But ultimately it's up to us to decide. I'm glad you understand this, Regan, before you marry Rowen. Even though we love them so much, this is something that is worth careful consideration. And if someone decides the risk isn't worth it, I don't know if I can blame them."

"Do you think the risk is worth it?"

Mia smiled; she practically glowed. "Every day. I will never have any regrets about Cye, no matter what happens in the future."

Regan felt no reservations toward her upcoming wedding as well. In a way, she always understood the danger of getting involved with this man the moment she became aware of the armors. Their history would not change her mind. In fact, it just made her want to know more. It thrilled her to think she would soon have a lifetime with Rowen to learn everything there was to know.

"Would you like to hear about how Cye and I started dating?" Mia asked.

Regan suddenly lit up.

* * *

When both she and the ronins had grown into adulthood and had more stability in their lives and professional careers, Mia turned her attentions not only to researching the past yore of the armors, but adding her own discoveries to their history. She wanted to complete the research on the armors and be able to bring a wealth of information to the next bearers so they could learn from the current ronin's stumbles.

Part of her research plan included both interviewing the armor bearers and an actual physical study of the armors themselves. Unfortunately, the ronins turned out to be very reluctant and uncooperative in this venture. Suddenly, the guys who were always happy to spend time with her were now strangely busy and evasive.

Rowen, since they worked at the same school, was the most available to her, but he soon began to actively avoid her. The times she did manage to corner him, he would quickly become irritated at the prodding questions of the more intimate aspects of his experience with the armor. Just like the others, he was uncomfortable with the request of coming to the mansion so she could physically inspect and manhandle the armors.

Mia recalled a near shouting match she had with Ryo over the phone about this. She kept demanding of him what was the big deal about her request and why he was getting so bent out of shape about it. Ryo's responses were vague and flustered before he hung up on her.

Turning to Cye was somewhat of a last resort. Mia wasn't as close to him as she was with Ryo or Rowen, but she knew Cye was the least combative of the five. She wore him down with the promise of only a quick inspection of the armor, and then they could spend the day baking and cooking together.

Cye reluctantly arrived to the mansion one rainy weekend. Mia feared he would use the weather as an excuse not to come, but he was true to his word.

"Nasty out there," Cye said as he fought the battering wind to get into the house. His jacket was peppered with rain spots.

"Yes, thanks for coming," Mia greeted. "I know I've been a pain to you. To all of you."

Cye gave her an amused smile. "I am definitely taking one for the team here. The others are hoping you'll let this go after today."

Mia frowned a little. That was definitely not her plan. Cye was just the first of five boxes she planned on checking off.

"I honestly don't understand why you guys are fighting me so hard on this. Why shouldn't we strive to learn as much as we can about the armors? All we've ever seen of them is battle. Isn't there something to be learned from studying them when we aren't fighting for our lives?"

"I don't disagree with any of that. But you also have to understand, Mia, that you are prodding at something that is both deeply personal to us and is also connected to a lot of painful and difficult memories. You're roughly picking at old scabs we don't want you to touch and you are demanding we get over it in a timely manner because it is more convenient for you."

Mia took a moment to chew on that new information. Looking back, she could now tell that this is what Ryo had been trying to explain to her. Unfortunately, Wildfire had always been terrible at expressing himself. Her inability to understand his frustration just made him lose his temper even faster.

"Can you explain it to me?" she asked Cye. "Tell me what you felt when I asked this of you."

Cye breathed out loudly through his nose. Mia knew she was still being a bit irritating, but she wanted so badly to understand.

"The first thing I felt was panic," he admitted. "Any mention of putting on the armor is synonymous with danger in my brain. The suggestion of calling forth the armor for no reason but to look at it feels... unnatural. The armor comes out to fight; that's what it was made for. It feels as if just manifesting the armor is calling the next battle to us. I know it sounds improbable, but that's the fear that gripped me when you asked to see the armor."

"I didn't think about it like that. So, you don't want to call the armor because you feel like you would be putting us in danger?"

"I'm sure most of it is my own paranoia. But there's also that deeply personal aspect I mentioned earlier. You're wanting to prod into our relationships with our armors which is, frankly Mia, none of your business. There is something almost... intimate about the armors that I have trouble putting into words. I feel weirdly exposed by the idea of just standing here in full armor while you inspect every inch of it."

There was a span of silence between them. Cye breathed out loudly and added, "But I understand where you are coming from and your curiosity comes from a place of love. I am willing to go out of my comfort zone for you today."

A bit stunned by his words, Mia looked him in the face, into his expressive stormy green eyes. "Thank you. I understand better now. Thank you for explaining and for doing this for me."

He gave her a gracious nod in response.

Mia glanced at the window where the rain was still pelting the glass. "Now I feel even guiltier asking you out in the rain again to summon Torrent."

"I think I can do it inside with minimal drama. Not that Torrent minds the rain. It's really the wind I'd like to avoid."

"You sure you can do it safely inside?"

"Pretty sure." He grinned. "Today is the day for experimentation, right?"

Mia thought about it and then picked up a particular vase from the nearby bookshelf and held it in her arms.

"Okay, ready."

Cye nodded to her with confidence and then closed his eyes. Within moments, Mia could feel the energy gather in the room. It crackled like static and for a moment she worried it would get to strong, but then she felt Torrent with them. The energy ebbed and flowed like a gentle tide and then Cye's body was engulfed in a white light. When it died down, the full Torrent armor was there, Cye inside. He removed the helmet and set it in Mia's arms as she gaped.

Admittedly, it took her a few moments to get over such an amazing experience. In the heat of battle, when the armors were called, there was always so much power and danger. It wasn't safe to get near that when it was happening. This was the first time she felt the power of Torrent around her as a friendly, calm energy. Almost as if it were greeting her as it manifested itself.

After she recovered her wits, Mia set to work. With the helmet, she studied its form, took pictures of it, and weighed it. She attempted to scrape a piece of it off for analysis, but the armor broke any instrument she used.

Next came the body of the armor. Cye was sweetly patient as Mia inspected it and him all over. She took note of the form front to back and all its tiny details. Cye remained still as her nimble fingers poked in every crevice, inspecting the joints and appraising the craftsmanship. Mia was very much zoned in at this time, learning every curve of the armor with her fingers. There was a current that flowed from the mystical metal that was warm and comforting. She just couldn't stop putting her hands all over it. Only several minutes later did Mia finally notice that Cye's breathing had gotten a little shaky.

Glancing up at him, he was trying to keep a neutral face, but his cheeks were flushed. The two locked eyes for a moment and Mia let her hands roam over the armor again. She wasn't sure what possessed her to keep going, but now the touches were different. Gone was the sterile scientific prodding. Now her touch was loving, worshipful. Her palms skimmed up the arms and over the chest of the armor with appreciation. She felt her own face grow warm as she was aware of Cye watching her every move. Why was this suddenly so sensual? And why was she now under its spell and happy to be so.

She heard Cye part his lips and let out a shaky breath. The sound made her whole body grow warm in response. Then BOOM! She jumped at the sound of heavy thunder as the power went out, plunging them into an inky shadow. Cye's arms went around her, pulling her against the armored chest and she felt comforted, protected.

Cye's husky voice rasped in her ear. "Since the power's out. How about you let me take you to dinner?"

* * *

"And the rest is history," Mia said.

"That is super cute," Regan grinned in response. "Sounds like it was just meant to be. Maybe Torrent knew that before you two did."

"Maybe. It certainly felt like something changed that night, something for the better. I understand what you are trying to say about the armors. I don't think I've ever felt like Torrent was trying to give me a particular message, but I've felt its power and influence when Cye and I are together. It feels like warmth and love." Mia pulled into a parking spot outside their restaurant of choice.

"All because you felt up his armor," Regan said with an amused tone. Suddenly, she wanted to see Strata. She wanted to touch it all over, as well; to know it better.

"Oh yeah," Mia agreed. "And later, he let me handle his yari, too."

Regan stared at her. Did she just mean...?

Mia cackled wickedly at her double meaning and they both busted up with laughter.

* * *

It was a rare day off of work for Ryo and he was making the time count by shopping for some much needed groceries. As he stocked his nearly empty fridge, his phone pinged a new text message. Upon checking it, he found a text from his grandmother: 'Robyn is over at the house. We are baking if you would like to join us.'

Ryo thought about it. If it had been Rowen attempting another sad cooking experiment, he would have said he was busy. But two of his favorite girls along with some good food was something he wasn't about to pass up. He let his grandmother know he would swing by soon.

 _'Bring eggs_ ,' her text had responded and Ryo grabbed his newly purchased eggs and headed out for the truck.

* * *

There was an unfamiliar blue car parked outside when Ryo pulled up to his grandmother's house. Strange, his grandmother didn't drive any more. Maybe Robyn purchased a new car? She usually just took public transportation everywhere. Perhaps she decided to buy one. Her job was paying quite well. Ryo would have to congratulate her on the purchase.

Ryo stepped into the house without knocking. "It's just me," he called inside as he removed his boots and jacket by the door.

"We're in the kitchen," Robyn's happy voice called back.

The sound of her made him smile. All the way to the kitchen where he heard a male voice seconds before Ryo saw him. Jude was there, in his grandmother's kitchen. Ryo's smile instantly dropped.

"There's my always-busy grandson," his grandmother greeted with a kiss on the cheek. "Come sit down and talk with us."

With a neutral expression, Ryo sat himself on one of the bar stools at the counter.

Robyn instantly slid a plate of cookies in his direction. "Try one."

Ryo took a bite and instantly made a sound of approval at the warm softness of the freshly baked cookie.

"Snickerdoodles," she informed him.

"Jude made them," his grandmother added. Ryo instantly stopped chewing. "He's been teaching me to bake western style goodies."

"And you are a natural at it," Jude complimented with a gorgeous smile and a wink. "I barely need to help you with anything. I just sit back and let you do your magic."

Ryo's grandmother laughed, her face a little flushed. Was this son of a bitch flirting with her? Ryo couldn't taste the cookie anymore. He suddenly had the urge to spit it out. Forcing himself to swallow it, he set the rest of the cookie back on the plate.

"We're making pumpkin rolls," Jude then explained. "A little late in the season, but everyone needs a little cream cheese frosting in their lives."

"Agreed," Robyn chirped. "We'll make you one to take home, Ryo."

Jude walked up behind the redhead, incredibly close, and wiped some flour off her face with his thumb. Ryo suddenly felt he was in some sort of strange nightmare.

"I tried to teach my grandson how to cook, but he never had a knack for it," Ryo's traitorous, sweet grandmother told the interloper in his grandmother's kitchen. "Did you learn from your mother?"

"My father, actually, and my grandmother. My sister and I used to spend summers with our grandmother in India, and we learned to cook some traditional food and desserts. Our dad had a sweet tooth, so we'd experiment on the weekends."

"How nice!"

"It was always nicer when he stress baked," Robyn teased.

Ryo's grandmother chuckled. "Now, I have to hear the story behind this."

Ryo's teeth ground together. Jude abruptly looked up, and it was almost like he knew that Wildfire wanted to grind him up into a paste. The smile he aimed at Ryo was subtly mocking and amused, his green eyes twinkling. Then he shifted his gaze to the little old Japanese lady next to him, and his eyes warmed. He leaned down so he was eye level with her and got companionably close.

He told a funny little anecdote about his father telling him to take out his stress and anger on dough instead of someone else, so at least something good and delicious came out of it. Ryo hated the story and the way Robyn and his grandmother "aww"d at it. "So now, anytime school or work stresses me out, I stay up and bake. My last semester of finals, I stayed up the weekend before, and Robyn and my sister had like three pies, two sweet breads, and enough cookies to put the Girl Scouts to shame to enjoy."

"It was a great week," Robyn grinned.

"You make your own bread?" Grandma Sanada asked.

"I have. I'm particularly fond of homemade ciabatta. Do you?"

"Not as often as I'd like. Homemade bread is divine." She patted Jude on the cheek. "My dear, you will make some young woman a happy woman indeed."

"You are too kind, Mrs. Sanada. _You're_ not seeing anyone seriously, are you?"

Grandma Sanada laughed and playfully swatted Jude on the shoulder with a dish rag. "Oh go on, you rascal."

Ryo was in his own personal hell.

Who _was_ this motherfucker? Why did Robyn look at him like that? Why did she laugh and blush whenever Jude teased her, and why did her eyes follow him as he worked and flirted with his grandmother, his _grandmother_ , and why did she seem so comfortable when he touched her? On her shoulder. On her arm. On her waist. Robyn had never been comfortable with displays of affection like that, not even within the last year. But she let his arm or his hand linger, as if she felt…safe with him.

"Ryo?"

Robyn's soft voice cut through his loud, angry, bitter thoughts. He found her watching him with an air of concern, along with his grandmother. Jude wasn't looking at him, but Ryo knew that bastard was paying close attention.

He let out a long breath. "Yeah?"

"Rough day?" Her eyes were kind and sympathetic, her whole demeanor suggesting she was oblivious to anything wrong with this dude's behavior. As if there was nothing wrong with it at all.

So why did this cut his heart in two?

"Yeah," he muttered, looking down at the counter. Her pale, slender arm came into view, holding a cookie.

"Have another cookie," she suggested.

He took it so as not to seem rude, as his grandmother clucked with disapproval. "That job of yours is too demanding," she told her grandson. "Eighteen hour days, no regular schedule, constant stress."

Ryo went tense. It wasn't something he hadn't already heard a dozen times, but having Jude there to hear the critique of his chosen career rankled. "No job is without stressors, Grandma."

"Isn't that the truth," Jude murmured.

He looked up and stared at the man suspiciously.

Jude wasn't paying him any attention. "Mrs. Sanada, these are about ready to go in the oven."

"Oh honey, you can just call me Grandma."

Ryo seethed.

* * *

"Snickerdoodles!" Ryo barked in frustration.

Kento just blinked at him. "What are snickerdoodles?"

"I believe they're a type of cookie," Cye said. Both of them were watching Ryo slowly unravel with a calm detachment. They weren't used to seeing him this bent out of shape, but they also didn't understand what exactly the problem was.

"Are they good?" Kento wondered.

"Goddamnit, they're amazing!" Ryo shot back. "He bakes like Cye, the bastard."

"Regan's brother?" Cye asked.

"Yes," Ryo hissed.

"Ah."

Kento looked at Cye. "What did that mean? What's his problem and why did your "ah" agree? Jude seems pretty cool."

"And pretty comfortable with Robyn," Cye clarified.

"Exactly," Ryo growled.

Kento thought back to how Robyn and Jude interacted the single time he saw them together. "They're friends, it's not really that different from how I act with her."

"What? No. You don't act like that around her. It's not the same," Ryo insisted.

"How is it not the same?"

"Were you not at dinner?" Ryo wondered.

"From what I've heard, Regan's brother is something of a…well, he's very comfortable with women," Cye said. "And very experienced."

"I'd say so, he's a good looking dude." Kento slapped his hand against his cheek. Damn it, why did that shit keep slipping out of his mouth? He huffed at himself, then added, " _I'm_ experienced with women. Rob's one of my favorite people, I spend time with her, and no one's pissed at me. And do you think she's not allowed to have made friends when she lived in the states? He's Regan's brother, for crying out loud. They were roommates."

"He doesn't want to just be friends," Ryo said darkly.

"Or he does but he's leading her on," Cye corrected.

"Whoa whoa whoa, Rob's into this guy?" Kento demanded, suddenly realizing where this was going.

"She's never acted like this around any other guys," Ryo said, increasing the look of alarm and surprise on Kento's face. "And he just eggs her on and makes it worse, and he can't possibly be serious about it. He lives in Oregon. It's not right."

"Well, hold on." Kento crossed his arms and put on his thinking expression. "He's just here for the wedding. This could be how they are around each other. Dude, she's been around this guy for six years. They could just be close."

"It doesn't excuse his behavior!"

"Well…" Cye sighed. "He hasn't done anything inappropriate, we have to admit that. I'm a little uncomfortable with how _familiar_ he acts with Robyn, but I don't believe he means any harm. And she doesn't seem to mind it."

Ryo growled low in his throat, and Kento raised an eyebrow at him.

"Or rather," Cye continued, "maybe he's not aware he's leading Robyn on, if she's actually interested." He made a face at himself. "That doesn't feel right. Bottom line, I don't like the bloke, but we may be blowing this out of proportion. Kento's right. He's just here for the wedding."

"But what if he comes back?" Even as he said it, Ryo could feel himself getting worked up all over again. "Regan lives here now. He could very well decide to move here, too."

Kento shrugged. "Then he moves here."

"You're not helping," Ryo growled.

Cye was beginning to look at his leader speculatively. "What is it that's bothering you, Ryo? Is it that they're close, that Robyn might be interested in him, or that he could be leading her on?"

 _All of it_ , Ryo thought, feeling his blood boil and a boulder sink in his stomach.

Torrent and Hardrock looked at each other, and Ryo belatedly realized that he said it out loud.

"…are you interested in Robyn?" Cye asked point-blank.

Wildfire's mouth opened, and then closed. Opened and then closed. "No, I…I'm just concerned for her."

"Bro, it's turning into a sauna in here," Kento said. The living room of the Koji-Mouri house was large and high-ceilinged, so it was always a little bit cool—but now it was like a roaring fireplace had been on for hours.

Ryo dragged a hand through his hair and muttered an expletive that neither had ever heard come out of his mouth outside of battle. He paced and looked down at the floor, fingers clenched in fists. Both warriors braced themselves for a potential blow out of some kind. When Ryo's emotions were high and he couldn't articulate them the way he wanted to, he flared hot and fast like a firecracker.

"Last year, Robyn and I had…" he stopped, collected his thoughts, and huffed. "I've been so messed up over Natsuki breaking up with me that I just…couldn't think of anything or anyone else because I couldn't understand why it had to end." He paused, breathed out loudly through his nose. "I know why, but I had a hard time accepting it. And last year, when all that garbage was going on with those creatures, I didn't even notice that Robyn had developed a…a crush on me. Until she told me."

Both men blinked at him. "Say what?" Kento asked.

Ryo's shoulders slumped. "She asked me out, and I turned her down." Cye frowned at him, and the disappointment on his face was the worst. "I didn't know how I felt," Ryo defended. "I still wasn't over Natsuki. I wasn't interested in Robyn like that and _I_ didn't want to lead her on, but now…hell, I don't know. I just can't stand the thought of Regan's brother doing the same." And touching her like that, and smiling at her like that, and her smiling right back at him.

Cye thought back to Robyn and Ryo's interactions late last year and since she came back. They seemed okay. Normal. It hurt his heart that Robyn had been let down by Ryo, but if Ryo hadn't felt the same at the time, he did the right thing. "You both seem all right now."

Ryo nodded. "Yeah, we—"

"Dude, what the fuck is wrong with you?"

Torrent and Wildfire blinked. Hardrock's face was a mixture of bewilderment and anger. "You turned down _Robyn?_ "

"Kento, we didn't feel the same about each other. I couldn't do that to her."

"Did you even try? Did you even give her a chance?"

"Look, it wasn't the best timing, either—"

"So how would you know? You're still pining over a girl who skipped out on you and won't even return your calls, and you shut down the girl who's been there every step of the way? Who stayed up with you all night after the worst mindfuck of our lives?"

Ryo stared at him. Kento looked ready to shake him. He was starting to feel the same mixture of guilt and panic he felt when Regan read him the riot act over it.

"Kento, he was honest with her. You can't do any more than that," Cye interjected, his tone softer and more reasonable. "It's difficult to approach someone when your heart's not ready."

Kento shot an unfriendly look to his best friend, then sighed with aggravation. He jabbed a finger at Ryo. "You're an idiot!"

Ryo's vaguely guilty expression hardened and he took a step forward. Cye rolled his eyes. "Guys, please, this is ridiculous. Robyn is _fine_. Her personal relationships aren't always our business and I think you're both blowing things out of proportion."

Hardrock and Wildfire stared at each other, and both deflated at the same time. Ryo stuck his hand out first, and Kento took it with a firm, but quick shake after a moment's hesitation.

"I've got work," Ryo announced. And he did; this was most certainly not a retreat out of an uncomfortable conversation. He had no reason to feel guilty. He and Robyn were on good terms, and they were friends, and he was just looking out for her. That was all. "Thanks for listening to me complain."

"I'm sure it's not over," Cye joked. "Lord knows how they'll be at the wedding."

Ryo huffed at that as he grabbed his light jacket to head out the door. He flat out ignored Cye's parting, "And get that Snickerdoodle recipe from him!"

When Ryo left, Cye and Kento remained in the living room, the latter's face still dark and unhappy.

Cye looked thoughtfully at him, then said quietly, "That night at the hotel, Robyn didn't just stay up with Ryo. She was there with you, too."

Kento gave his best friend a side glance at the accusation, but didn't say a thing.

* * *

The next day, Ryo was back at the mansion, and the other ronins expected to arrive as well. They all agreed that January was making them stir crazy. The overcast skies and the cold air made them feel a little claustrophobic. They were to meet at the mansion that afternoon and go into the snowy woods with their armors for a cathartic sparring session. Currently, most of them had arrived and were just waiting at the house for Rowen, who said he was running late because he was assisting a student.

The others waited with only minimal patience. The armors knew they would be coming out soon and energy stirred in the main room. Sage paced a little by the window, Ryo sat on the couch, one leg bouncing. Kento leaned against the wall, arms folded, one finger tapping. He paused when he heard his cell phone ping and retrieved it from his pocket.

"Holy shit." Upon looking at the screen, the words tumbled out of his mouth.

"What?" Cye asked, one brow raised in question.

"Nothing," Kento insisted, though his eyes were wider than normal.

"That's the most guilty "nothing" I've ever seen," Sage accused.

"It's just that... Fumi texted me. I didn't expect to ever hear from her."

The team was about to let it go, except it looked like Kento was texting her back.

"What are you doing?" Cye said. "Just ignore her."

The non-verbal response Kento gave was a shake of his head. His wide eyes screamed "there is no ignoring this."

"What did she send you?" Ryo asked curiously.

Kento glanced to the side, but had no response. Cye was next to him faster than Kento realized and immediately made a face at the screen. "Oh, Kento, no. Please tell me you're not thinking about responding to this."

"What?" Ryo asked.

At the same time, Rowen stepped through the front door and announced, "I'm here! What'd I miss?"

"Fumi sent Kento nudes," Cye said simply.

There was a moment of silence in the house.

"Like good ones or nasty ones?" Rowen asked.

"Does it matter? Most importantly, Kento isn't going to respond to such a blatant tactic to get his attention. Are you?"

Kento looked guilty once more.

"Kento, no," Sage ordered. "Don't give her an excuse to get her hooks in you again."

He glanced back down at his phone.

Ryo was standing now. "Remember how miserable she made you, how miserable she made all of us. Don't do it."

"But she's so hot," Kento sighed. "You're not looking at what I'm looking at."

"She's also crazy. Don't forget the crazy," Rowen said as he moved in. The entire room was tense now. Trying to talk Kento down from this unexpected booty call felt akin to deactivating a bomb.

"But hot and crazy in bed is mind-blowing. It will just be this one time."

"No!" Ryo ordered, trying to snatch the phone away. The two fumbled for it and it fell on the hardwood floor and slid a few yards from them. The two glanced at each other and then Kento lurched forward. "Kento!" Ryo tackled him to the ground as they wrestled for the phone.

When it was clear that Kento's superior strength was winning, Cye jumped on him as well. "Kento, stop. Think about this. She made _all_ of us suffer."

Rowen knew he could stop this right now by just walking ahead and picking up the phone. But this was quite fascinating. "How is he dragging you guys? Can't you two stop him?"

Ryo practically had Kento in a choke hold trying to slow him down. "He's...too strong," he growled as Kento pulled both Wildfire and Torrent a bit closer to the phone.

Rowen couldn't handle the failure anymore and jumped on the pile, certain _he_ could be the one to stop Kento's progress. One more long pull of his arms and Kento's finger tips were within touching distance of the phone. Rowen swatted it further away.

"Come on Kento, you're better than this. Don't go crawling back to her, that's pathetic."

"Screw you guys, this is none of your business," Hardrock growled back, and dragged now three ronins with him as he inched closer to his phone.

"Kento, you know tons of girls, call someone else," Cye suggested while he attempted to stop Kento's arm from moving.

"Maybe we can call—jeez he's strong—a service for you," Rowen grunted as he too tried and failed to hold Hardrock back.

"What? No," Ryo objected. "Kento's too good-looking to pay for sex."

"I'm not talking hookers. More like, you know, a high-end escort service."

"Kento, seriously, just call someone else," Cye said. "No one's going to say no to you. Girls oogle you all day. Sage, can't you go get that phone while we hold him down?"

"Seriously, if Kento's hard up to get laid, what's the hope for the rest of you?" Rowen asked. "At least, those of you still single."

"Funny," Ryo growled.

"Get off me! You guys are creeping me out!" Kento barked.

Sage stood over them, hands on his hips. He considered getting the phone himself as Kento was near to it once more, despite three grown men on top of him. Instead of removing the carrot before the horse, Sage grabbed Kento's ankles, confident one more ronin would finally hold back the mighty Hardrock.

Halo gave a startled cry as Kento suddenly pulled forward, yanking them all with him.

* * *

Regan frowned as she glanced down at her phone again. No answer from Rowen and she had texted him several times in the past fifteen minutes.

"Darn him," she hissed. "Not only is he not tasting cakes with me, he won't even put in his two cents over the phone."

"Now you know what I've had to deal with while you were gone," Robyn said as she took a fork full of the next cake sample and put it in her mouth. Currently, the two were sitting at a table in a small, but adorable bakery, slices of several different cakes set out before them. Jude was there as well, but was currently checking out the fancy and detailed arrangement of pastries behind the glass counter. "They're doing important armor... team stuff. He'll text you back when they're finished. Besides, Rowen doesn't like a lot of sweets and sugar. It's a Japanese culture thing. It's considered feminine to have a sweet tooth."

"I have to disagree with that," Jude said as he returned to the table, catching the tail end of the conversation. "Cake is for everyone."

"Well, at least you can have whatever cake you want, Regan, you don't have to compromise. Plus, this was the one thing I was dying to do with you. You can force Rowen to help you with everything else."

Robyn took a bite of another cake and made a pleased noise. That sound caused Jude to want to try it as well. The redhead's phone pinged and she checked it with a slight snort. "Apparently, Kento's ex just tried to get back with him and Kento's cracking. Rowen wants to pimp me out so he can continue to break that habit."

"You certainly could do worse," Regan mused. "That boy is built like—wait. Did one of the other guys tell you Rowen said that, or is Rowen texting you?"

Robyn stayed quiet.

"That little turkey."

The redhead grinned. "Rowen is a seasoned pro at avoiding things he doesn't want to do. That's what you're marrying. Better get used to it."

"Is this the one with the crazy ex Regan told me about?" Jude mused.

Robyn glanced at Regan. Sometimes the fact that Regan told everything to her twin irritated her. That was not Jude's business.

Regan ignored it. "Poor guy. Kento hasn't really dated anyone else since, right? I think he's just lonely, and it's driving him to make bad decisions."

"I know that feel," Jude said.

"Of course you do," both girls chimed.

"He just needs to get laid." Regan dug her elbow into his side with a "shhh" when one of the bakery attendants looked their way. "Sorry," he added, then sent another apology in Japanese and a quick bow the attendant's way, in case she spoke enough English to understand how crass the comment was.

"It's still true," he continued, despite the exasperated looks his sister and Robyn threw him. "He's defaulting to what he knows and what's familiar, doesn't matter how bad it was. Better that than taking a risk with someone new."

"And what happens when someone takes a risk on someone new?" Regan's voice was quieter as she looked up at her brother.

"It depends on what they do after, and what their reasons are for doing it." Since they were low key talking about it, Jude didn't bother to hide his bewilderment and frustration. "If you rush into something because they're filling a need and the infatuation stage is still going strong and you're lonely, then it can lead to a world of regret." It didn't make him feel good to say that to her, and she tried to take it without getting upset, but he could see the hurt and indignation in her eyes. It hurt him, too, to add softly, "But I've seen you bounce back from far worse. I know you could handle it if it doesn't work out the way you want. I just wish I could spare you that."

Regan swallowed against the aching lump in her throat. "I just wish you could trust me," she whispered.

"It's not you I don't trust."

Robyn saw the flare of temper in Regan's eyes at the slight against Rowen, and intervened by squeezing between them and hugging them both around the waist. "Hey, so why don't we decide on a yummy cake and then go check out some thrift stores before dinner?"

Regan visibly collected herself, then said neutrally, "Yes, that sounds great. I'm going to use the restroom, excuse me." She walked off towards the back. Robyn turned to Jude.

"Give this a chance," she said in a low voice.

"I have perfectly reasonable concerns," he countered in the same tone.

"I know you do. I do, too, because I don't like to see any of my friends rush into things. But they're both very capable people who can handle any road bumps that come up. And there are layers to their relationship that you don't understand."

"Then explain it."

"I can't. You just have to trust me. And stop irritating my friends, they're not too happy with you either, you know."

Jude's serious face lightened with a faint smile. "Oh I'm sorry, do they have a problem with me showing you the affection you deserve?"

Robyn felt heat rush to her cheeks. "You're being a little _too_ obvious with that, Mr. Handsy Pants."

"It's not any different from back home." Jude tucked a few red strands of hair behind Robyn's ear. "We all had great lives. We looked out for each other. I love taking care of you, of Rae. But that doesn't have to change. You can still come back with me; I still have the spare bedroom. Do they even check in on you here? Do you see your favorite guy friends from high school as much as you'd like?"

Robyn shrugged his hand off, feeling her own defensiveness over the guys rise, even as she briefly mourned her life in Oregon for a painful flash of a second. "Of course they do. But they have their own lives, too. _All_ relationships take work, Jude, and you know that. So who's really afraid to put in that kind of work, huh? Because I don't think it's your sister."

The redhead jabbed her fork into another square of cake and chewed angrily, refusing to look at him. Jude looked down at his own slice, unable to quickly recover from that well-aimed jab.

"I would for you," he murmured as he toyed with the cake. "If you wanted me to."

Robyn's smile was brief and fond. "No you wouldn't, Judy. But that's sweet."

Jude raised an eyebrow at her, then watched her as he took another bite of cake. "Offer's still on the table."

She laughed at him. "And it can stay on the table."

"If none of those insanely attractive friends of yours are smart enough to scoop you up, you know I would take care of you."

"Stop it," she hissed, blushing as she eyed the nearby attendant who was distracted by a phone order. Thankfully, Regan came back from the restroom, and Robyn could forget that Jude all but propositioned her in broad daylight, in a bakery.

"Do you know which cake you like?" Robyn asked desperately.

* * *

Dinner was at a trendy restaurant in downtown Toyama that Sage recommended and they all had agreed to meet together for dinner. It took a while to be seated with the amount of people they brought. Their group was getting bigger. The seats were low and plush, the lights dim, and the music soft enough so as not to distract from conversation. A posh bar took up the far end of the open room, and glass windows on the other side displayed a picture perfect winter's night, with snow heavy on the tree limbs and blanketing the ground.

"This is incredible," Jude admitted.

"Toyama has its moments," Rowen said. "Did you get settled into your new place all right?"

"Yeah, it was a breeze. They're off to enjoy an extended vacation in Australia, and I look after their cat." Jude had snagged the perfect Airbnb opportunity, and thankfully had an apartment to himself so he didn't have to worry about getting a little too up close and personal with his sister's love life. The few days he'd stayed with them had made him more appreciative of what Rae had to put up with whenever he'd brought a girlfriend home.

And because he couldn't help himself, Jude glanced over at Robyn and added, "You owe me a visit, by the way."

She finished a spoonful of soup before saying, "I already saw where you're staying."

"You stayed for like five minutes."

"I stayed longer. I had to play with the cat."

They bantered back and forth, and Cye watched both them and Ryo. Wildfire tried to ignore it and focus on his meal, or just stare at the surroundings of a place nicer than he'd ever voluntarily step foot in.

Kento was looking equally uncomfortable, albeit for entirely different reasons. The sparring session had done them all some good, had helped him channel the sexual frustration. But he was still irritated with his friends.

"Doing all right, Kento?" Cye asked nonchalantly.

Hardrock gave him a sour look. "I'm just great, Cye. Peachy."

"It was for your own good," Sage commented mildly as he sipped his tea.

Hardrock then glared at Halo next.

"Did you all really have to take his phone?" Robyn asked, a bit irritated for him as well.

"When Kento commits to any course of action, even a terrible one, he commits," Sage replied. "He'll get it back in a few days once he's had time to think about the consequences."

"He isn't called Hardrock for nothing," Rowen added.

Mia choked on her drink. After a beat in the dead silence following Rowen's comment, the table erupted into laughter.

"What does that mean?" Jude asked curiously.

Both Ryo and Sage shot Rowen a meaningful look, and the blue-haired Ronin finally realized his slip.

"It's a nickname," Robyn recovered. "It has to do with, with…"

"You aren't the only one who has a way with the ladies, Jude," Regan helped. Her brother snorted. "After all, Fumi was convinced both me and Robyn were dating him at one point."

"And I've been single for too damn long," Kento muttered. "I'm not used to it."

"It _is_ unnatural for you," Cye said. "I don't remember the last time you were unattached for this long."

"Seriously, why don't you just get another girlfriend?" Rowen asked.

"Every woman in Toyama must be blind," Ryo said. "Look at him." The table cracked up again, and Ryo looked at them, startled. "What?"

"You want to share something with the table, Ryo?" Cye teased.

"I'm not saying anything we don't already know."

"What the hell are you all going on about?" Kento asked.

"You're too attractive and amazing to be single, my friend," Regan explained. She playfully ruffled Robyn's hair and added, "Robyn agrees, she's just too shy to say it out loud."

The redhead gasped, then flushed all the way up to her ears.

"I'm not too shy to say it," Mia said with a smirk that Cye matched.

"So can we all acknowledge that everyone at this table has low key harbored a crush on Kento and thinks he's too hot to be single?" Rowen asked. Kento sputtered when everyone at the table raised their hands, even though half of them were grinning with amusement.

"Even you, Sage?" he asked. Sage shrugged unapologetically and said nothing.

Kento sighed, still feeling twitchy and uncomfortable from a day of high emotions and frustration. "Totally isn't helping, guys." He gestured to the three women at the table—all his friends, and all damn adorable, cutely dressed, and smelling amazing. "Especially you three. Not helping." And especially not when Robyn and Regan carried on with the casual affection they showed each other. Laughing at each other's jokes, Regan making Robyn blush, combing their fingers through their hair, being feminine, reminding him of everything he used to have and didn't anymore because Fumi was a terrible person. Why couldn't he find that with someone normal? Why did he get screwed over and he was left miserable and sexually frustrated and alone?

And damn it, Rowen's fiancée knew what his problem was and had no problem teasing him by fawning over Robyn even more. "We have no idea what you mean," she said innocently as she wrapped an arm around Robyn's shoulders and gathered her closer.

Kento growled, the wood table groaning in protest when he grabbed it too hard.

Rowen put a hand on Regan's wrist, his tone low. "Baby, no, don't tease. I seriously cannot protect you from him."

Regan glanced at him, surprised that he wasn't joking. She was not aware of what they had all witnessed of Hardrock's strength earlier that day.

"So, we tried a bunch of cakes today," Robyn blurted, trying to change the subject. And the subject was allowed to be changed. Soon all of them were talking and laughing about more mundane things and personal problems were forgotten for a while.

When the table ran out of drinks and the waitress looked a little too busy with dinner rush hour in her section, Kento offered to grab another round straight from the bar for them. He hauled up from the table, took more of the good-natured ribbing from his teammates and the girls, and saddled up to the side of the bar. He couldn't squeeze in between seats because his frame was too wide, but a young woman graciously moved her chair to make room for him.

"Thank you," he said with a slight nod.

She gave him a bright smile. "You're welcome."

He hung out next to her while he ordered the drinks…and couldn't help but taken a second and third look. She was damn cute. Long black hair with bangs, big brown eyes, a heart-shaped face. It looked like she was enjoying some sushi and a few cocktails with a friend—good for her.

"Can you carry all those back yourself?" she suddenly asked as the drinks began to show up in front of him while the bartender completed them.

He winked at her. "I'm more than capable."

Both women giggled, and it made him feel good. When the bartender tallied the total for him, Kento handed him yen for the others and his own card, and said, "Add their next two drinks on my tab."

The doe-eyed young woman and her friend "aww"ed and thanked him. His entire arm tingled when the former quickly and lightly squeezed his arm. "That is so nice, you're such a gentleman." Her touched lingered. She clearly enjoyed the muscles under her fingers.

"Anytime." Then, he used his skills as a waiter to easily scoop up the drinks, and as he turned to leave, told them, "Enjoy your evening, ladies."

"Those girls seemed to like you," Mia asked as Kento sat back down. She didn't see Kento in action that often, but the guy was smooth as butter.

Kento just shrugged and took a drink of his beer.

"She's still looking over here," Regan said from her vantage point. "I think you left quite an impression. You should go back and talk to her."

"Get her number," Jude agreed.

Kento frowned. It wasn't any of Jude's business, but the other guys were giving him encouragement to go. Confronted with the prospect of actually talking to someone other than Fumi—talking to them and maybe taking them home—was suddenly a little intimidating. "I don't know."

"I'm sorry, did we not just have to tackle you to the ground to keep you from making the worst decision of your life just a few hours ago?" Cye said with judgmental brows.

Kento glanced around the table. His eyes fell on Robyn who gave him an encouraging two thumbs up. Goddamn, why was she so cute? He had to get out of here. He glanced behind him, and clashed gazes with the woman at the bar. She smiled at him and held up her drink, and his heart beat a little faster as he smiled back.

Why shouldn't he?

"Come on Kento," Ryo encouraged. "If you don't, you might regret it and you'll never see her again."

They finished dinner, Kento's solid hint that she was interested came when her friend left…and she didn't. When dinner was over and the check was paid, Kento rose from the table to get her number. Everyone quietly cheered him on, especially when he came back and put on his coat.

"Robyn, do you mind catching a ride home with Ryo?" He grinned a little. "I got me a date."

"Of course I don't!" Robyn was happy to see Kento looking a little happier. "Have fun!"

* * *

They'd grabbed another drink at a different bar, talked, flirted. She casually touched him often and even brushed her boot against his leg. Kento did not decline when she invited him back to her place. It was the size of a shoebox, but Kento didn't care—it was a hell of a lot better than taking her back to his apartment above his parent's restaurant. It smelled like her, a mixture of gardenias and cherry blossoms.

She was small and petite like Fumi, but her touch was gentler, and her enthusiasm was hot and flattering. Kento enjoyed the noises she made when he kissed down her neck and found her sensitive spots. God, he missed this. He missed having a woman in his arms, the way it felt to be undressed and touched with those smaller, eager hands. There was just one problem.

His arousal faded when she kissed him. Their mouths met and there was nothing. The taste of her cooled his blood, something that had never happened to him before. He tried to stay in the mood, tried to focus on all the great things she was doing to him: scraping her fingers through his hair, rubbing her body against his. She wanted this, too; a hot, cathartic round in the sheets. Maybe they would see each other again after this, maybe they wouldn't. Kento was all sorts of down for this.

But his body was not responding at all. With a growl at himself, he hoisted her in his lap (to her surprise and delight), and his grip grew a little more forceful as they ground against each other. She was having the time of her life, running her hands all over him, and he couldn't get his body to react the way it damn well should have.

When she went for his jeans, he had to push her hands away to avoid embarrassing them both for what she wouldn't find. "I have a better idea," he murmured. He prayed that she thought the sweat on his brow was from exertion, when he wasn't even close to exerting himself.

He made sure she had a good night, even while his heart raced as he tried to figure out what the fuck was wrong with him. He did all the work while she reaped all the pleasure and was soon crying out while Kento was still fully dressed. When she tried to remove his shirt for a second round, he cajoled her with kisses and a "maybe some other time". He murmured it was late and they were both too drunk and he had work in the morning.

"Hey, I didn't get your number," he heard her call as he walked out the door. He shut it behind him, got into his vehicle and didn't look back.

Confusion and frustration roiled through him as he drove home. What his body had clamored for all god damn day, all week, all _month_ , he apparently couldn't get from her. What the fuck was wrong with him?

Kento slept like shit.


	3. Chapter 3

**.**

 **Urban Legend the Sequel**

 **Chapter Three**

"The guys' gifts came in the mail yesterday."

"Mmm, that's good."

"Sage confirmed that the final tux fitting is a go for Monday night."

"Mmm."

"The vendors have been paid; the wedding planner's done a great job at keeping that sorted."

"Mmm."

"…the horse has been secured the ceremony. You'll have to ride him in from the hotel lobby."

"Mmm." Rowen paused, looked away from his book for a second and down at his fiancée. "Wait, what?"

Regan blinked up at him innocently. "The white horse. It's paid for."

"A horse? We have a horse? I have to come in on a _white horse?_ "

Regan nodded solemnly. "For _baraat_ , the groom's wedding procession. It's an Indian tradition."

Rowen's book flopped to the bedspread and he stared at her with a mixture of horror and fascination. "But the wedding's at a ski resort. In the _mountains_. How could that…how much did that cost?" His expression shifted when she could no longer keep a straight face and laughed at him. "You're evil."

"I just wanted to see if you were paying attention. Apparently you _do_ care about some things."

Rowen sighed and gathered Regan closer. It was a Saturday morning, and they were both being lazy and staying in bed. It was also freezing outside, and the extra body warmth and blankets were most welcome. "Rae, I would marry you right now, in this bedroom. What we do for the wedding doesn't matter to me because I just want to start our lives together. Why do you think I kept insisting we get married this soon? I'm terrible at making decisions like this, so I just figured that you'd have more fun doing it."

"Your input still means something to me," Regan countered, her form a little stiff in his arms. "It's your day, too."

"I _did_ choose the color of the tuxes."

"After Robyn and I pestered you for two solid weeks. You made it a lot harder on her than it needed to be, you punk. And you ignored my texts the other day, would it have killed you to at least tell me which cake flavors you _didn't_ like?"

"I hated all of them."

Regan reared back to look him in the face. "Rowen," she cried, mortified.

"I'm kidding," he said. 'I'm not going to eat much of it anyway. You and Rob are the cake fiends." He sighed when she looked away from him and tugged the sheet around her, sliding off his chest. He didn't let her get far, and curled around her to nuzzle her neck and kiss her ear. "I'm sorry. You are so touchy this morning. I'm excited to _get married_ —I hate event planning with a fiery passion. And I trust your judgment. Believe me, I could not have pulled off what you and Robyn and Mia have done getting this thing together in a few short months. I can't keep all of those appointments straight."

"You can't, can you," she mumbled. And his ability to plan a wedding is not why you're marrying him, she chastised herself. This is also the man who stocked his pantry with your favorite foods and who picks your brain like he can't get enough of what's going on in there.

"My brain can only fit science, you, and useless trivia," he added, echoing her thoughts.

"I'm glad I took Robyn's advice and Sage has played the surrogate fiancé in your stead then," Regan said dryly. She relaxed in his arms and turned back around to rest her head against his chest. Something tight in Rowen's chest loosened. "We have some amazing friends."

"Yes, we do." After a beat, Rowen asked, "Is the horse thing a real tradition?"

She smiled. "It really is. But we're not observing that one."

"Thank God."

"I _am_ making you wear a garland of flowers. We both will. That one's really important to me."

"I can do that."

"And I need to teach you the words for the _saptapadi_ —the seven steps. My grandmother will love that. And I was thinking…it's okay if we include _san san kudo_ , isn't it? I want to observe your traditions, too, since we're quite literally merging two cultures."

"More than okay."

"I also thought about changing from the wedding sari to a kimono for the reception, but I'm worried that's toeing the line of appropriation. I don't know if I can, can I?"

"Baby, you can appropriate my culture any time you want, you don't even have to ask."

Regan snorted at the double entendre. "Just take whatever I want?"

"You bet," he murmured. Even though he had very little interest and capacity for all the appointments, decisions, and stress that went with the wedding planning, he had been totally truthful that he was excited for the actual day. He was going to marry the woman quickly becoming his best friend, not just his lover. He couldn't wait to see her in whatever an Indian wedding sari looked like. And it did touch him that she wanted to make sure both their cultures were represented.

Rowen took her hand and guided it down his side, reminding him that they were both quite naked underneath. "My culture is yours for the taking."

Regan giggled. "And you, sir, may freely pillage my land." She kissed his throat. "Establish trading posts."

"Mmm, promise?"

"You can have _all_ my spice crops."

Rowen barked out a laugh. "After I give you free and open access to my rice paddies."

Both of them cracked up and kept making jokes that grew more and more suggestive, until the talking stopped and their bodies moved restlessly against one another. In no time, Rowen's deep, drugging kisses melted Regan into the mattress, but once her head cleared for a fraction of a second, she rolled them until she was on top and pinning him down. "I'd like to do some plundering right now," she said breathlessly.

Rowen's eyes darkened with delight and pleasure.

And when he went to speak, they both heard it.

The sound of a front door opening.

They froze and stared at one another in confusion. Then Rowen moved faster than Regan's eyes could track, gathering her up and away from the bedroom door as he listened hard.

"Helloo, darlings, I brought breakfast!"

Rowen sagged with relief and loosened his grip on Regan. "It's just my mom."

Regan stiffened, her eyes widening. "Your _mother?_ "

He did not share her horror one bit. "Yeah, she has a key. She came early for the wedding." He kissed her temple. "I am deeply sorry we didn't get to finish what we started, though."

The brunette gathered the sheets and blankets and covered herself, a blush working its way up to her cheeks. "Your mother is here and we are naked in your bed," she whispered. "Is that door locked? Nevermind." Regan willed the lock shut with her mind, then bounded off the bed and lunged for clothes.

Rowen followed at a slower pace, amused as his bride-to-be went in low-key, full blown panic mode. "I'll be right out, Mom," he said loudly, and didn't bother hiding his smile when Regan squeaked in distress.

"I'm not ready for your mother to be here," she said in a breathless tone much different than from two minutes ago. Panties and a bra were thrown on, then jeans, a sweater, a brush fished out of her bag and dragged through her hair which, to him, looked amazing even first thing in the morning.

"And yet," he said unhelpfully.

She shoved his jeans at his stomach and hissed, "Put some clothes on, Hashiba. And wipe that smirk off your face, this is not funny."

"Definitely not funny." His eyes sparkled at her. Regan growled at him. "Baby, it's fine. My mom is really chill and she's been looking forward to meeting you."

That didn't help. Regan's sense of propriety warred with her poor impression of Rowen's mother. On one hand, meeting the mother of her future husband in a situation where said mother could clearly see that they'd been in bed together was mortifying, and her Desi relatives would have been scandalized. On the other hand, she was meeting a mother who had cheerfully packed up her bags and jetsetted for a journalism career when her son had still been a minor. It was so neglectful and selfish that Regan couldn't help but hurt for Rowen and judge her for it. Her own mother was an absent, self-involved, and at times cruel woman, and she hated that Rowen bore that burden, too.

"Be nice," Rowen said after studying Regan's face.

"I will."

He kissed her forehead. "Thank you."

She made a face where he couldn't see, then took a deep breath. "Okay, let's do this. After you find a shirt, _really_ Rowen."

Her fiancé was annoyingly relaxed as they walked down the short hall to the living room and kitchen. They found a slim, kinetic woman with curly hair in the kitchen, setting up food on the tiny table. She moved around with a comfort that was surprising, considering that she'd probably only been inside the apartment two or three times.

"Sweetheart!" Ms. Hashiba flung up her arms and wrapped them around her taller son, and Rowen enthusiastically returned the hug. His face lit up when he saw her, and Regan tried to keep her own face friendly, because imagine if he could see his mother more frequently, instead of only when the planets aligned or a wedding happened.

"Hi, Mom. Thanks for bringing breakfast, it smells great. I'd like you to meet Regan Sundari, my fiancée."

Ms. Hashiba squealed with delight. "Oh, honey, it is so wonderful to meet you! Look at you, you're such a doll. Come here, we're going to be family soon!" Regan found herself enveloped in a strong hug. She stood stiffly for a moment, unused to such displays of affection from mother figures. She shot Rowen a mildly terrified look. He mimed going in for a hug, so Regan wrapped her arms around the woman and patted her back.

"Thank you, Ms. Hashiba. It's lovely to meet you." Regan couldn't help but notice that Rowen got his stunning eyes from his mother. She looked so _young_ —and if memory served, she was just in her early forties. She had been very young when she had Rowen.

"You both have to tell me everything, I want to know how you met. The coffee's about done, so you just sit down and grab a bite."

Regan was downright baffled by the reality of Rowen's mother, and her interactions with Rowen. There was no tension, no awkward silences, no gaps in knowledge. She knew what Rowen was researching at work and what classes he was teaching, and he knew about her assignments. They chatted comfortably, and his mother asked Regan questions to include her in the conversation. The center of her chest burned as she tried to figure it out. Rowen seemed to love her very much, but that didn't make her neglect any more palatable. She wanted to like this woman—she wanted to have a mother-in-law she could love—but she couldn't get past the abandonment. Being abandoned by a parent was soul crushing, but a mother? And in Rowen's case, both of his parents?

Unacceptable. This woman could play nice through her whole visit, but in the end, she'd leave him again. And yes, he was an adult now and families moved away from each other all the time, but this woman hadn't been there for him when he needed her most.

"…how does that sound?"

"Hmm?" Regan looked up from the food she toyed with. "I'm sorry, could you repeat that?"

"I'd love to get to know you better, so I thought we could do a little shopping, get some lunch, and you can tell me about the wedding!" Ms. Hashiba beamed at her.

Regan swallowed and forced a smile. "That sounds…amazing, let's do that."

Rowen gave her a proud smile, and that was the only reason why she agreed. If it made him happy, she'd try to make nice. But she didn't have to navigate it alone. When neither was paying attention, Regan sent a distress signal text to Robyn.

He followed her into the bedroom when she excused herself to properly get ready. "It will be fine," he assured her.

"I'm sure it will be."

"You'll love her, I promise. She's not what you think."

"Even nice people can cause harm when they're not looking, Rowen."

He sighed and ran his hands up and down her arms as if to warm her. "She's nothing like your mom."

"I hope so."

Rowen sent her off without a worry in his heart. He knew where her misgivings came from and understood why she'd draw those conclusions, but he also knew she was wrong. Everyone loved his mother. She would, too.

It gave him a chuckle when Regan sent him one last parting, panicked gaze as she was ushered out the door by her future mother-in-law. Left alone for the rest of the day, Rowen pondered what he could fill it with, since his original plans were dashed.

Then a light bulb went off. Maybe he would attempt to get to know his new in-laws better as well.

* * *

Rowen's mother greeted Robyn with the same robust cheerfulness as she had Regan. Robyn, who had only met the woman once or twice in her life, was treated like an old, dear friend when she met them at the mall. The redhead chose to be carefully pleasant while they wandered stores together and only stepped into the conversation when she felt Regan needed a buffer.

Talking to Rowen's mother, Regan found, wasn't entirely awkward or unpleasant. She was quite good at small talk and kept her questions easy to answer. She asked how they met. Regan explained the trip to Japan for her job and that she and Rowen had just hit it off. There was no mention of monsters, just how Rowen had randomly invited her to lunch one day and the relationship snowballed from there. And any other questions Ms. Hashiba had about Rowen and their relationship easily had Regan rambling on.

By the time they had all gone to lunch, Regan and Ms. Hashiba were chatting amiably, both as content to talk about Rowen with both affection and humor. His mother provided quite a wealth of information about her son when he was younger and Regan ate it all up. Rowen was a bit tight-lipped about his childhood. It was fun to hear this unfettered information coming from his mother.

"And you, Miss Quiet One," Ms. Hashiba said with a playful glance at Robyn. "I remember he talked about you all the time that last year of high school."

Robyn stopped eating her salad in mid chew. She had been most content just to be around, but not be a part of the conversation. Even as they had lunch, she was happy to sit silently and eat while the other two gushed and laughed about Rowen. She was not prepared to suddenly be involved in the conversation.

Regan raised a brow to her friend. "Reeeeally."

The look on Robyn's face told that this was news to her.

"I'm really glad you came back out here, Robyn, and kept in touch with your high school friends. How funny that he met his bride through you!"

"Uh, yeah... That's my life. It's hilarious."

Regan elbowed her.

"I mean, yeah. I really missed all the guys and tried to keep in touch with them. They were good friends to me. In fact, I was missing Toyama. It's good to be back."

"Wonderful. How are you finding Toyama, Regan?"

With that, the conversation was off Robyn and she was happy to let it be so.

"Beautiful," Regan said honestly. "I love that there's great hiking near here. Robyn and I used to hike a lot in the Cascades back home."

"Hiking is so fun! When I had the time, I did a lot of hiking in the Alps while I was on assignment in Zurich last fall."

"I think I remember Rowen mentioning that when you guys talked over his birthday." Regan's internal dialogue was a little more severe, but she couldn't seem to spit any fire at this woman without wussing out at the last minute. It would be rude, for one, and she promised Rowen to try.

"One of these days I'll get him to actually come out to see me; he can be as bad as his father with his work."

Mrs. Hashiba flitted like a hummingbird in conversation and in mannerisms; smoothing her napkin, checking her phone, talking with her hands, and alighting on one subject before moving on to the next with lightning speed. She was a physical representation of how fast Rowen's mind could run through subjects. And Regan could barely manage to hold on to her doubt and apprehension in the face of how positive and happy she was.

She was nothing like Regan's mother. There was nothing calculated about her; there was no ulterior motive lurking in her tone or her word choice. Not all mothers were like hers and Robyn's.

Before she knew it, Regan was comfortable around her soon to be mother-in-law. As much as she wanted to be bitter with the woman who, in her eyes, neglected her fiancé when he was young and just up and moved out of the country when he went to war for the entire world, she found she couldn't. Not only was she a veritable ray of sunshine to be around, it was clear she genuinely loved her son and was very proud of him. In fact, she knew far more about Rowen's personal life than Regan had expected her to. The more they talked about the mutual man in their lives, the more Regan realized Ms. Hashiba already knew how they met and even who she was and what she did. The woman just wanted to hear all of it in Regan's own words, from her perspective. She wanted to hear from her own mouth how much Regan loved Rowen and how badly she wanted to marry him.

"Are you having a _mendhi_ ceremony?"

The brunette blinked at the older woman. "I…yes, actually." How did she know about that? Most people did know that Indian brides put henna on their hands and feet for their weddings, but not that it was done during a ceremony the night before, with her female friends and family. Did she actually research ahead of time?

Ms. Hashiba sighed happily. "How lovely. I can't wait to see the henna patterns you'll have. I bought a _lengha_ dress for the wedding, I'm so excited to wear it. And to meet your relatives. Rowen's told me how fond you are of your grandmother, it must be so hard not to see her very often."

Abruptly, a lump lodged in Regan's throat. She didn't miss that Ms. Hashiba did not reference her mother, and she had a feeling that the woman knew a great deal more than she was letting on, but wouldn't mention it out of respect. That, and her unexpected knowledge of Desi culture, was sweet and touching.

"Would you like to attend it?" she asked Rowen's mother. "My cousins can draw henna for you, if you'd like."

Ms. Hashiba clasped her hands together like a girl, eyes bright. "Oh, Regan, I would adore that."

When Regan wasn't looking, Rowen's mother wore her down with sheer kindness and sunshine. And when the woman gave her a hug after they finished lunch, she held on just a little longer.

"Thank you for lunch, Ms. Hashiba," she said.

"Honey, call me Mom. You're my daughter now."

Oh damn it, those were tears.

* * *

"Why am I here?" Sage wondered.

Rowen grinned at him. "Because I want my best friend and my brother-in-law to get along, hang out, be chummy."

"The word you're looking for is buffer. You want a buffer."

"Naw, I could have done this without you." Rowen got comfortable in the booth and did a quick scan out the window for a tall Indian man among a sea of Japanese passersby. Nothing yet. "And maybe you're a buffer of sorts, but not in the way you're thinking. I need him out of his element."

Sage's vague irritation at wasting an afternoon on Regan's brother, who he honestly didn't care for, was pushed to the side in favor of curiosity. "Why?"

"It's the only way I'll be able to crack that exterior. If it were just the two of us, he might brush me off. But you make him uncomfortable. I want to see what he does. And if we're able to get honest, it will hopefully help him come to terms with this. It hurts Rae that he's fighting this so hard."

Halo sighed and sipped his tea while they waited. He hated it when Rowen mildly impressed him with his foresight and clever machinations.

Jude arrived, and Rowen moved so both Ronins could sit across from him. The man raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything about it.

"Thanks for coming," Rowen said easily. "Regan's out spending time with my mother, so I thought we could use the afternoon to get to know each other better. Since the wedding's next week."

Jude's eyebrow twitched. "I see. Well, thank you for inviting me out," he said politely. His eyes flickered over to Sage, who stared back with a blank expression. Jude cleared his throat and gave his form fitting button down a tug. Then pulled off the beanie and combed his fingers through his hair. Jesus, the blond Japanese man was unsettling. As someone used to being damn near the most attractive—and stylish—man in the room, Sage's physical features and sense of style upset the natural order of things. He wore dress shirts, vests, and loafers like he was prepared for high afternoon tea in London's Soho district on the daily. There was a cold aloofness to his demeanor that set him on edge, too, and every shifted gaze away from Jude felt like a dismissal.

They ordered food, and the conversation was still stilted and overtly polite. Sage said nothing at all unless Rowen asked him a direct question, and even then the answers were one-worded. Jude tried to get a read on him with his particular talent, but the blond had to be naturally shielding, because he could get _nothing_ from that living mannequin. Rowen was easier to read, but he was frustratingly at ease and calm.

'So," Rowen said after they'd tucked in to lunch. "What's between you and Robyn?"

Jude's hand froze halfway to his mouth, the spoonful of soup forgotten. "Excuse me?"

"You seem pretty close. Robyn's comfortable around you, and that's…unusual for her. Did you date?"

The dark-haired man set the soup spoon down and sat back in his seat, studying the blue-haired man. "Why does it matter?"

"Robyn's my friend." Rowen nodded toward Sage. "Our friend. We knew her well before she moved back to the states. She's like family to Cye. So we like to know what's going on in her life, and six years is a lot of ground to cover."

"It is," Jude murmured. Rowen's direct, frank gaze actually made him uncomfortable. "We didn't date, no. I have taken her on dates, but it was nothing serious."

"Does she know it's nothing serious?"

Jude blinked, then laughed. "Definitely. Rob's made it clear she's not interested in anything more. And that skittishness with being touched, I know what you mean. Half of the reason my sister and I are so touchy with her was because we wanted her to get more comfortable with it."

Both men stared at him speculatively. "Can you clarify that?" Rowen asked.

"I'm assuming that everyone at this table knows about Robyn's past with abusive men?" Jude asked bluntly. Both mens' faces darkened; Rowen was the only one who nodded.

"She's not used to positive, physical affection. When she first came back and moved in with us, she'd jump clear to the ceiling if you accidentally brushed her arm. And as a therapist, I've seen my fair share of young women who revert to what they know and repeat the cycle of abuse. Accepting the treatment they think they deserve. Breaking that cycle is imperative. I know I'm not the only one who's worried that Robyn would fall right back into it and pick someone again like Jason."

Rowen blew out a long breath. "No, you're not."

"The way I am with Robyn? That took years. And even though she doesn't take it seriously, I just…" he looked away from them and watched people pass the windows, rubbing the back of his neck absently. "Look, she's my friend, too. And she's very important to my sister. I wanted her to know how she _should_ be treated before some slick asshole with worse intentions swept her off her feet." He shrugged. "Having said that, I might be taking it a little farther than it needs to go. I'll miss her, and I want to make sure she's not just blindly throwing away the life she built in Oregon."

Of all the responses, neither Ronin had expected that. They exchanged looks. Rowen didn't disagree with any of Jude's accurate assessments, although it was still so strange to see Robyn's closeness with someone outside their group. He could tell Sage thought it was a poor excuse, but the blond looked a hair mollified.

"And you think that applies to Rae too," Rowen said bluntly.

Damn. Jude worked so often in meandering conversations that slowly uncovered the truth that Rowen's direct route to the heart of it continually surprised him.

Two could play at that game.

"Yes, I do," Jude said unapologetically.

Rowen nodded. "That's fair. Can I ask you something?"

"You haven't had a problem with that so far, so by all means."

"It must have felt like the end of the world when they took her away."

A bolt of pain lanced through Jude's heart. "That wasn't a question."

"You were about thirteen, weren't you?"

Jude had to remember to breathe, because he had not come here today to talk about the worst years of his life. "I am not talking about this."

"You don't have to say anything. But I have something to say to you. I get it." Rowen's eyes were suddenly, unexpectedly kind. "They took your twin away and you didn't see her again for years. You haven't been a part from her since then."

"How do you know this?" All the smooth polish in his tone stripped away like varnish and exposed the rawness underneath. "She told you?"

"I know everything, Jude. She trusted me with it. I can't even imagine what you both went through. But it's not the same. No one's taking her away. She wants to be here. And you can see her whenever you want."

Jude abruptly stood. "Excuse me." He stalked off, looking shaken, but didn't leave the restaurant—he headed for the bathroom.

Sage watched him go, then looked sharply at Rowen. "What are you referring to? Who took her? Where?"

Rowen blew out a breath and dragged a hand through his hair. "I didn't tell you this because the timing was bad, when I found it," he said. "And because I thought it would hit too close to home for you. Regan's powers manifested when she was about twelve, and her accidents with her abilities drew attention. Some think tank research scientists said they'd take Rae and teach her how to handle it, so her mom handed her over."

Sage held himself very carefully. Abruptly, he remembered a conversation he had with Robyn last year, about how she and Regan met. In a bad place, she'd said.

"They lied through their fucking teeth. They wanted to test her capabilities, experiment on her, use her. They wouldn't let her go home or have any contact with her family. They held her for almost five years until Robyn showed up, and then they both escaped when Kortez's puppets went after Robyn."

Halo closed his eyes as dark, unwanted memories clawed their way out from the back of his mind, where he'd buried them deep. Memories of another scientist, of experiments, of pain. Halo, ripped from his grasp. Death. His mind tried to stretch the abuse and pain from weeks to years, and he could not do it without wanting to rage against the unfairness and inhumanity. "She was just a child," he said, his voice hollow.

Rowen's face grew tight. "Yes, she was." He shook his head. "I suspected that had something to do with Jude's problem, and I think I'm right. The separation devastated them. He didn't handle it well then, and he's not handling it well now."

Their conversation was interrupted by Rowen's phone ringing. He raised an eyebrow at the caller listed on the screen. "Hey, Ryo," he answered. "What's up?"

"Not a lot," his leader replied. "What are you up to?"

"Out to lunch with Sage and Jude."

"…oh. Why?"

A smile quirked Rowen's lips. Ryo broadcasted his dislike of Rae's brother with every cell in him, and he frankly found it hilarious. "Future family bonding time. It's going swell. Want to join us?"

"No, no, that's okay," Ryo rushed out. "I tried Kento earlier, but he already said he had plans. I just had some free time."

"Offer still stands."

"I'll pass," Ryo said sourly. "Catch you later."

Rowen smirked to himself as he hung up the phone. He glanced at Sage, who was still staring at the table with a thoughtful, distantly sad expression. "Are you okay?" he asked.

Sage nodded. The memories of his own experience hadn't yet faded, and it made him uncomfortable inside his own thoughts, but there was something oddly…comforting…at not being the only one. He would not wish that on anyone, but the truth of it was that it happened to her, and it had not broken her. But he knew it tried. They had that in common.

When Jude returned, he was calmer but pallid. His pale green eyes, filled with anger and grief and fatigue, pinned Rowen. "She's never told anyone. But she told you. And you clearly haven't gone anywhere."

"I'm not going anywhere because I love her and it's a part of who she is. She shouldn't be ashamed of that. And I don't blame you for having a hard time with this." Rowen leaned forward, his tone turning earnest. "You're not losing a sister, Jude. You're gaining a brother."

Jude stared at him for a long time, letting the other man's emotional state do all the talking. Rowen was totally sincere, and…hopeful. He wanted a good relationship with Jude, too, and he had firmly planted his feet in the ground when it came to marrying Rae. Regan had never believed she'd find anyone who could fully accept her…but it looks like she found him.

And who the hell was he to get in the way of that?

"Japan is still too fucking far away," Jude told him.

Rowen shrugged. "Move here, set up a practice."

"I'm in a degree program, man. Why can't you move to the states?"

"It's complicated. If I could, we would have done that for a while."

Jude laughed softly, reflected back on the whole conversation. "You'd make a decent therapist."

"Don't put that idea in his head," Sage said.

The dark-haired man feigned surprise. "He speaks."

"He takes stoic to a whole other level," Rowen agreed.

Sage closed his eyes and let out a long suffering sigh. "I'm sitting right here."

Rowen and Jude smirked at each other.

"Are we good?" Rowen asked.

"Do I have to deliver a "treat my sister right or I will ruin you" speech?"

"I would kick my own ass, if Robyn didn't shank me first."

Jude snorted. "Yeah. We're good.

"Have you seen much of Toyama yet? There's a few interesting museums around here. I am filled with a stupid amount of trivia about them."

Jude gave him the first open, genuine smile Rowen had seen. "I haven't, but I'm down to check them out."

* * *

"Hey, sorry I'm late," Robyn said as she approached Kento in the lobby. "I tried to finish lunch as soon as I could."

"No prob, Rob. We could have hung out another time if you wanted to."

She grinned. "No, you gave me a reason to leave early. I am very grateful for that."

"Was it really that bad? Rowen's mom's not that bad to talk to."

"It was fine, but when she and Regan finally started talking, it was the Rowen fanclub in stereo. I'm sorry ladies. I love Rowen, but I don't love him like you guys do. Get me out of here."

Kento laughed. "Well, then I'm happy to be your excuse to leave. Thanks for wanting to come out."

"Are you kidding? I love hanging out with you."

Hardrock smiled. Asking Robyn to go out for an afternoon was more than just fulfilling the promise he made to himself last year, when she first came back. He'd had a hard time, then, remembering to fit her into his life. Adulthood was demanding on its own, with work and family obligations and then trying to maintain the bond with the team, and it required more intentional planning than he'd ever realized. Making time for Robyn again had been a pleasure, even though he wasn't always great at keeping it consistent.

No, it had been more than that. He was still rattled from his letdown of a night with the girl from the bar, still puzzled by his body's reaction. It sent him in a stupid tailspin over what the hell was wrong with him, and would he ever get over the shitshow that his relationship with Fumi became, and was he even capable of a normal relationship at this point?

Did he even bother trying? It was so fucking hard to find someone to trust with their secret, and he was jealous that Cye and Rowen managed it. It didn't help that his mother had given him the talk _again_ yesterday, since he was the ripe old age of 26 now.

Screw that noise. What he needed was a normal day out with Robyn, who he didn't have to pretend with, or be anyone else but totally himself. They were friends, there were no expectations, and he enjoyed her company. They were going to have a normal, fun time.

Kento shook himself out of his thoughts and gestured her further inside. They had met at a large activity center that was adjacent to an even larger mall. Inside were various things for both adults and families with children to do; play areas, an arcade, an escape room. And, since it was a Saturday afternoon, the place was full and loud, voices and laughter echoing off the high ceilings.

"So, you sure you don't want to..." Kento nodded his head at the climbing wall as they passed. He used it all the time to keep his skills sharp and get a different form of exercise.

Robyn snorted. "Yes, Kento. In the skirt and boots I'm wearing, I totally want to do the climbing wall."

He jostled her playfully. "I wouldn't peek."

"You would already be at the top." She wriggled her arms in a flapping gesture. "I have zero upper-body strength. No, I came for mini golf and that's what we're going to do."

"All right," Hardrock said in good nature. "Maybe next time." He grinned at her and she returned it with a stubborn look that said he wasn't going to convince her.

The two stepped in line for golf and, after a while, were on the brightly-colored course, going from one hole to the other, razzing each other when they missed a shot or send a ball sailing into a small rushing stream or net.

"So, how did your date with that girl go?" Robyn suddenly asked.

Kento clenched his jaw in annoyance. He was just about to putt, so he knew she asked it right then on purpose. Currently, they were tied. Then he was annoyed that he had to think about that night again. He didn't want to keep obsessing over it.

"It was fine," he said tightly.

"What did you guys do?"

"We talked for a while, then went back to her place."

"What's her name? Are you going to introduce us to her?"

Kento sucked in a deep breath, calling on what serenity he had left. He sunk his shot and then retrieved the neon green ball from the hole. "I don't remember, and no."

"You don't remember her name?" Robyn said with a bit of judgment in her voice.

Kento really didn't want to talk about this. He tried to wave it off. "It wouldn't have mattered, we didn't really hit it off."

Robyn wasn't buying that at all. He wouldn't have stayed to talk with her and then gone back to her place if he thought they weren't hitting it off. She stood at the end of one of the holes without moving on to the next one, tapping her club against her boot and watching him.

"Look, fine. It got weird. For me. I made it weird. She was all into it and I couldn't do it. I just walked out and left and didn't look back. Okay? I know Fumi messed me up, but I didn't realize how bad."

Robyn leaned on her club as she watched Kento pretending to really think about how he wanted to line up his shot for the next hole. "I don't think it's Fumi in the way you're thinking. You and her were together for a while. You were used to being with someone you knew. Maybe instead of looking for a one-night stand, you should get the name and phone number of the next girl and take her out on an actual date before you check out her bedroom."

Kento blinked at her, nearly relieved that such a simple answer made sense. "That's probably a good idea."

She shrugged in good humor. "I'm nothing if not practical. Don't be too hard on yourself. Relationships, even bad ones, take some time to get over." She paused with a smirk. "So I hear."

Kento gave a bit of a chuckle before taking his shot, and then watched as Robyn did the same. He wouldn't have ever thought of talking to her about this sort of thing, but she made him feel better about it. It made him wonder again why he'd never heard of Robyn ever dating someone, even once. And Jude didn't count; he flirted all over her and yeah, she responded, but not seriously. Was it her choice, or had the whole world gone mad when it came to her? He thought of Ryo and once again mentally called him an idiot.

"Hole in one!" Robyn crowed as her ball rolled down and sunk right into the whole. She jumped into the air, holding up her club triumphantly, and turned a megawatt smile onto Kento. "Beat that, I dare you."

Kento grinned at her enthusiasm. For a play date, this was a hell of a lot of fun.

* * *

Before dinnertime, Rowen's mother dropped Regan off back at his apartment. Regan suddenly wondered if she expected to spend the time with them at the apartment. Though they were getting along very well, Regan wasn't sure she was up for that much exposure so soon. She even grimaced a little when Rowen asked where his mother was staying.

"Oh, certainly not here," she said with a wink at Regan. "I don't want to crowd the two of you. I've got friends in the city I'm dying to see so I'll be staying with them. Just keep me informed of wedding plans." And with a kiss to her son's cheek, she breezed out the door the same way she came.

There was a moment of silence in the apartment before Rowen spoke. "So, how was it?"

Regan breathed out, long and slow and said, "It was... nice," in a nearly surprised tone. "We had a really nice time. I..."

"Like my mother?" Rowen leaned in with a know-it-all grin.

Regan narrowed her eyes at him, but her stubborn expression was faltering.

"She's a good person, and a good mother," Rowen insisted as he moved to the kitchen to root around in the cupboards. "Our family did the family thing a little differently, but there was no lack of love there."

Regan sat herself thoughtfully on the bar stool as she watched her fiancé rummage around for dinner ideas.

"She told me a lot of cute stories about you when you were younger."

"I'm sure she did. Including the roof incident?"

"According to her, there were several roof incidents. She said you had an obsession with getting into the air for some reason. Maybe you should have become a pilot."

"Or procured a magic armor that imbues me with the ability of flight."

Regan brightened. "Really? Can you show me? I've been meaning to ask anyway. Is it…possible for me to see the armor again?"

"For you? Of course. Do you want pasta tonight?" He pulled out a box of uncooked noodles. "I've got some Alfredo in the fridge."

"Sounds good. Your mom also told me that you liked to talk about Robyn that last year of high school."

Regan watched as he paused for a moment with the refrigerator door open. "I suppose I may have. I was a teenage boy and she was the new girl from a foreign land. Shrouded in mystery, I might add. She and Cye both were very tight-lipped about who they were to each other for a while. And you know I find a good mystery very intriguing."

He went back to work, putting water on the stove to boil. "I'm sure you've heard her talk about me, too."

"For the record, she talked about all of you the same. Like you were all a gift to the world. Well—I guess it was kind of like that, now that I think about it."

Rowen approached the counter across from her, leaning one elbow on the surface. "Do I need to give you the 'she's not the one I'm marrying, you are' speech?"

Regan smirked at him, leaning closer to his face. "Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of me giving you the 'back off, bitch, she's mine,' speech."

Genuinely surprised, Rowen blinked at her and they both broke up into laughter.


	4. Chapter 4

**.**

 **Urban Legend**

 **Chapter Four**

"Hello," came a distracted male voice after Rowen had called the number three times in a row.

"Dad," Rowen said. "Finally. Are you all packed?"

There was a pause on the other end. "Packed for what?"

"For the weekend, Dad, to go to the ski resort."

"What? You know I don't ski."

Rowen rubbed the bridge of his nose. He knew this was the conversation they would be having. "No, Dad, not to ski. I'm getting married tomorrow, remember?"

"Married?" came the indignant voice on the other end. "You didn't tell me the wedding was so soon."

"Yes I did. Several times. I also sent you an invitation."

In the silence, Rowen could just picture his father glancing at the pile of unopened mail that practically hid the kitchen table. Hopefully in that silence he was also recalling past conversations with his son about this wedding.

"I don't have a suit," his father finally said.

"I have it, Dad. I have everything you will need for the ceremony, I just need you to pack for the weekend. Don't start any other projects. Stop what you're doing and pack right now. Sage will be there in about a half an hour to pick you up."

"I may have to bring some paperwork with me. I'm right in the middle of—"

"Bring whatever you want, I don't care. I just need you physically at the location. So you better start packing now. Sage has orders to put you in the car in whatever state of readiness he finds you in."

Another pause, then a sound of amusement. "Alright, son. I'll start packing."

Rowen ended the call, an important item now checked off his to-do list. His father's lack of attention to the world outside his own mind would not hinder this wedding. Everything was going to be perfect.

* * *

.

"It should be right past this curve in the road," Mia said to Kento. The warrior of Hardrock nodded, keeping his eyes on the road as he drove. So far, the roads were clear and it hadn't snowed in two days, but he didn't want to take any chances.

"And we have vetted this place," Cye stated, brows knitted with worry. They didn't have a great track record with hotels in the mountains.

"I've been here a few times for university events," Mia confirmed. "It was on the list of places I suggested to Regan. I can vouch that there will be no sea serpents or monsters at this resort."

"No Tschugimos, either," Kento added.

Cye closed his eyes. "Please, if there is any deity listening, no unexpected wedding crashers." Dealing with the aftermath of his own ruined wedding reception had been a nightmare. The cake had been unsalvageable, half of the decorations ruined, and the tattered tuxes had cost a pretty penny. Apologizing to every traumatized guest with gifts and long-winded phone conversations attempting to explain away what in the hell attacked the wedding tent had been exhausting (some wild animals, yes, there had been sightings and warnings by local forest preservation officers and we didn't heed them, so terribly sorry). Disruption was simply par for the course as Ronin Warriors, but his and Mia's wedding had been the first openly public and costly disruption. He wouldn't wish that on anyone.

"I hope their guest list is small," Cye added.

Mia reached up to swat her husband on the arm with the wedding invitation. "Don't jinx them," she scolded. "And I believe it is, as a matter of fact." She thought about that, then frowned. "I think they might have actually done it _because_ of our wedding."

"Could be cost, too." Kento's eyebrows rose as the ski resort came in sight. He whistled low under his breath. "Damn, this couldn't have been cheap."

"Regan's grandmother made a generous donation," Mia said. "Dowries are still a thing in India. Marriages are a huge deal in their culture."

Cye made a face. "That strikes me as a little archaic."

"She didn't have positive things to say about the custom either, but I guess her grandmother insisted that it's just a wedding gift."

They parked and Kento sent a text in the group chat that they'd arrived. All three had weekend bags with them, including Kento and Cye's suits in garment bags. Although they were at a midway point in the mountains near Toyama, the air was still much colder, bright and crisp in their lungs as they approached the warm and inviting resort. They passed skiers and snowboarders, dressed for the ski runs and chatting excitedly with each other.

The resort lobby was open yet cozy, with a crackling fireplace, deep-cushioned low couches and seats, and warm wood walls. Mia and Cye checked in, but Kento didn't have to; his room was already set up. He set down his bag to text Robyn; ' _Hey roomie, where you at?'_

The response was quick: ' _In Rae's room with her family. 317. Come on up! I have your key. Fair warning: Her cousins will fawn all over you.'_

Kento grinned. "Bye, guys."

Cye looked around at him. "Found Robyn?"

"Yeah. I guess we'll meet up again for dinner, wherever that is."

Mia and Cye's room was also on the third floor, and faced a glorious view of the nearby snow-covered mountains. Mia carefully laid her bridesmaid dress over a chair, which at the moment was little more than a very long bolt of beautiful cloth. She wasn't even attempting to put that sari on until either Rae or one of her family members showed her how.

Cye stood at the window, overlooking the picturesque winter landscape, and Mia snuck behind him to slip her arms around his waist. "A nice little weekend vacation," she said, her voice sweet and inviting in his ear.

"I think it will be. I hate that I'm worried," he confessed.

Mia pressed a kiss to the back of his neck. "I know. We don't have a great track record. But things have been quiet for months."

Cye turned to hold his wife, their cheeks nuzzling. "Mrs. Mouri, I hope you don't have plans after dinner this evening," he said lightly.

She smiled as she gazed into his beautiful sea-green eyes. "I do," she countered with a grin. "You."

* * *

.

Kento really had no intention of staying after he picked up the key card from Robyn, but it looked a lot more fun than trying to track down Ryo and Sage. Regan's cousins and aunts did indeed fawn—hell, so did Rowen's mom—and their attention was flattering and amusing. Robyn grinned at him as she ate fruit and chocolate and looked comfortable and cute wrapped in someone's colorful robe, yoga pants peeking out from underneath the silky material. Regan was getting henna drawn on her hands and feet by a woman he suspected was her grandmother, judging by her long, wavy grey-streaked hair and traditional sari.

"Are you getting it, too?" he asked Robyn as he watched the older woman's steady hands squeeze the dye onto Rae's hand to create small, delicate flowers and vines.

"Oh, I wasn't sure if I should."

"Of course you should," Rae said among a similar chorus from her relatives. "But only if you want to." She winked at her best friend. "I can do it for you later. Kento, you can have some, too."

"I want a dragon."

"You will have to make an appointment," Rae's grandmother quietly teased in a musical accent. "All these girls I must do. Then, maybe a dragon. Are you Robyn's young man, hmm?"

Robyn flushed. Kento cleared his throat and said, "I'm her friend, ma'am."

The old woman clucked her tongue but said nothing. Robyn looked briefly uncomfortable, then stood. "Kento, I'll show you the room. Rae, text me when your hands are free?"

"Definitely not until then."

With that, they slipped out of the room.

* * *

.

After dinner, when everyone was well fed, Regan asked that they all meet together again in her grandmother's room after changing into more comfortable clothes.

Rowen was the first to notice the tarp protecting the carpet when they arrived. He took one look at his future wife and asked, "Is this where you kill me?"

"We do require a sacrifice," Regan deadpanned.

"Does there have to be an audience? I'm sure we can work something out in private."

He belatedly realized that Regan's grandmother and his own mother were in the room, and inwardly cringed. His mother only laughed, and Regan's grandmother smiled.

"We have to do one last thing before the wedding tomorrow." Regan's tone was stone cold serious. "This ceremony is sacred, meant to ward off evil spirits, to purify and cleanse, and to calm nerves. Please, sit."

The ronins, Jude, Robyn, and Mia sat in a semicircle, with Rowen seated in front of Rae. Her grandmother handed her a pot of something, and she placed it in her lap. Rowen's mother was grinning as if she knew what was about to happen, and that made him nervous. "This is haldi," his fiancée said. "Normally, our loved ones would apply this, but I wanted to start with you myself. After this, we can't see each other again until the ceremony."

"I have questions," Rowen said.

Regan just smiled at him. "There are more pots like these on the desk. Once you see how I do it, everyone is free to grab one and "bless" someone else." She scooted closer to Rowen and dipped her hand in the pot. "And in order to make sure you're cleansed, I have to be thorough." A bright yellow paste was slathered on her hands, and before Rowen could move, Regan streaked the paste down his cheeks. "Very thorough," she said with a grin as she got his forehead, then pulled out more and ran it through his hair, the bright yellow shocking against the blue strands.

Rowen knew he probably looked ridiculous, and the paste felt grainy, but it smelled good and it was nice to have her touching his face. "Please tell me I get to do this to you," he said, his eyes closed as she kept at it.

"You sure do."

"This is… a real ritual? Slinging yellow mud at each other?"

Regan and her grandmother laughed. "It is," her grandmother answered. "It's a gesture of love and protection toward another. And fun."

Rowen gleefully scooped out more of the turmeric yellow paste and covered Regan's cheeks with it, her nose, her forehead. By the time he streaked it through her hair they were both laughing, getting more of the paste on each other's necks and shoulders.

Mia thought a ceremony like this was quite beautiful—not too serious, but loaded with meaning, and she wasn't paying attention until something cold smeared on her cheek. "Cye!" she gasped. Torrent smirked at her as he casually reached for more to finish the job. She jerked away and grabbed for his hand, but it only flung paste on her shirt.

"Face painting!" Robyn cried. She grabbed a pot, and since Kento was the nearest ronin to her, crooked her finger at him.

"Nothing too girly," he warned.

"I'll draw you a manly flower."

To her surprise, Hardrock was game, and Robyn dipped her finger in the paste and drew a sun on his cheek, instead.

Then, wet hands clapped themselves on her neck from behind and Robyn gave a shriek. "You!" she cried, turning to Jude.

His response was to palm her face and she immediately smooshed her own mud-covered hands in his.

"Oh, now you're going to get it," Jude promised. She fell backward with a squeal as his hands smeared under her shirt around the stomach.

"Ah! No! Stop!" Robyn laughed as he tickled her.

"Jude!" his grandmother's voice cut through the air. He immediately paused and backed away as the elder chastised him in a language only the family understood. Jude returned to a kneeling position, looking properly humbled while his grandmother gave him a sharp eye.

It took Robyn a moment to recover from her laughing fit before she quickly skirted away from the male twin. Rowen and Regan were still engaged in their own fight for the pot as most of their exposed skin gradually turned yellow.

Robyn brought a pot with her as she approached Ryo, who had stood off to the side and was trying to stay out of it. Especially when Jude had gotten a little too handsy with the redhead. He had felt his fists clenching of their own regard and Ryo fought the urge not to punch the twin right in his stupid, grinning face.

Those fists loosened at the sight of Robyn in front of him.

"Now it's your turn," Robyn told him.

Ryo blinked. "Oh, no, I…"

"Too late." Even though Ryo reared back, as if afraid for Robyn to touch him, she did it anyway. She traced one slender finger over his cheek, this time making a warpaint-like pattern; lines and dots and squiggles. She did it on the other side, too, a smile playing at her lips as she worked.

Ryo swallowed hard. He was not prepared for how it would feel to have her touch him like this; so delicately, an innocent gesture, and yet one he felt all throughout his body. He stood stock still as she worked, afraid to move. A glance down at all the yellow hand prints on Robyn's shirt made his temper roil a bit in response.

"All done," she announced joyfully. "A little good luck for everyone."

He just smiled at her, his throat feeling dry.

Meanwhile, Regan was pleased that Rowen dug the ceremony; his eyes glittered with laughter as they doused each other in paste, then turned on their friends. She was thrilled with the day finally arriving and this chance to let off some steam and be silly that she didn't watch where she was going as she turned.

She bumped right into a solid chest, and a hand braced against her hip to steady her. The damage was done, however; her cheek smeared yellow on the blond's grey shirt. "Sage!' Regan exclaimed. She backed up, horrified that she'd accidentally stained his shirt. He didn't look mad, but she couldn't read his expression as they stared at each other. "I'm so sorry." It was so absurd that her voice trembled with laughter, and she tried to cover it by pressing the back of her hand against her mouth. "It will wash out with baking soda, I promise."

When he looked down at the stain with a mild frown, Regan lost her battle with the giggles. "Why am I not surprised," he said calmly, "that your culture has such messy rituals."

"They're fun," she defended. "They bring us together and…" she stopped when he looked back up at her and his eyes twinkled faintly with amusement. "Would you like a proper blessing?" she asked him.

Regan didn't expect him to say yes, so it surprised her when he replied, "I would, thank you." Even though she offered, she felt a little self conscious as she took the excess paste from her fingers, rose on her tiptoes, and brushed it across his forehead. Then, because he foolishly allowed her access to his person and he was just so serious all the time, she dragged the heels of her palms across his cheeks to leave an imprint, his violet eyes widening at the gentle assault. "There we go," she said, smiling at her handiwork.

"It matches your hair," Rowen called. Sage glowered at him.

They all took pictures of each other covered in the yellow paste before leaving to get cleaned up. Rowen was barred from following Rae, so Kento invited him to crash in his room for the night while Robyn stayed with Regan.

"Is it supposed to burn?" Robyn asked as both girls were inspecting the paste on themselves in the bathroom mirror.

"No," Regan said, looking up. "Here, let me see." She wiped some of the mud of Robyn's cheek with a wet cloth and frowned. "Your skin looks a little red. Maybe you're allergic to something in it. You shower first."

"You sure? You've got it way worse than me."

"Yes! I don't want you covered in rashes in my wedding photos! Wash it off!"

As soon as it was decided Robyn was to shower, she began to feel queasy, but kept that to herself. She made haste for the shower, throwing her clothes off. The burning sensation instantly lessened as the water washed off all the muck. But the skin certainly was still red underneath. Robyn touched her cheeks, wondering what her face looked like. Hopefully, whatever redness was there would fade before the next morning.

* * *

.

Sage hurried Rowen to the shower as if his best friend's filthy appearance personally offended him, but not before he had a chance to wash off the blessing Regan had streaked across his face. As Halo wiped the paste off with a towel, he couldn't help but smile to himself.

"You done in there? I'm dripping!"

"Don't stain the carpet," Sage called. He let Rowen have the bathroom, and as soon as the shower turned on, he began singing loudly over the rush of water. Sage sighed and decided to quit the room until the other ronin, and his terrible concert, was finished.

He wandered the venue, admiring the rustic motif of the hotel. The lobby was comfortable with lights down low and the fires high while various guests relaxed on the plush couches.

He was entertaining the idea of finding himself a place to sit and read when something outside the large picture windows caught his attention. Sage couldn't say _why_ it drew his attention. It was now dark outside and impossible to see past the reflection in the glass. Even moving closer did not help. But with feeling the chill from the glass came a second chill that raised the fine hairs on his neck and arms.

Stepping outside onto the wide first floor deck, his breath puffed in the cold. Despite a mere sliver of a moon, the white snow reflected the world around him perfectly. Everything seemed as it should be. Beautiful, serene, and still. Yet his senses were on notice more than ever.

Out of the dark forest came a dark figure, footfalls crunching audible into the snow, marring the smooth blanket. Sage would have been suspicious of such a thing, but he could already feel the familiar warm aura of fire his teammate gave off as he neared the light of the lodge. Sage walked out to meet him, away from the banks of windows of the lodge.

"Ryo," he greeted carefully. It was clear both of them had felt the urge to investigate the night for the same reason.

Ryo's body language was serious, battle-ready. He looked at his teammate and then turned to glance out at the woods. The white flakes of random snow in his hair told he had been stalking around outside for a while, but he was only in a light jacket. Neither cold nor heat ever seemed to touch Wildfire. Sage, however, was feeling the effects of stepping outside in just a sweater.

"They're out there," Ryo said simply.

Sage felt the hairs on his neck rise a little higher. "What's out there?"

"I don't know. But they're there."

Confused, Sage peered into the dark. Nothing; nothing moved except their breath frosting the night air. After a glance around for witnesses, Ryo stretched out a hand. In a burst of warmth, one of the Wildfire swords appeared in his grip. He pointed it to the night and a shot of fire launched into the distant snow, lighting up the world around it like a small flare.

In that light, small, black, and unidentifiable creatures scrambled to hide.

"I've had a feeling they've been around for months," Ryo said as Sage's eyes widened, then narrowed. "Tonight's the first time I've seen anything."

"What are we supposed to do? Do you want to tell the others?"

Ryo stared hard into the darkness. This was concerning, but despite the disaster of the previous wedding, he was hesitant to do anything at this point. There were things out there, but they were small and seemed more intent on not being confronted than actually trying to hurt anyone. At least for now.

"Tell the guys if you think we need to. But not Rowen."

"That's just what I was going to say," Sage agreed. "I don't want him or any of the girls to know. Let Rowen and Regan have their wedding. We can deal with it while they're on their honeymoon and he can be mad at us for leaving him out when he gets back."

Ryo continued to watch the forest. It wasn't an ideal plan, but he would do whatever he could to give his friends a blissful, hassle-free wedding if he could. For now, they would keep their silence and hope for the best.

* * *

.

The morning of the wedding was a happy sort of chaos, with family members and friends in and out of hotel rooms in various states of dress. The resort's event planner was taking care of details and setup downstairs, and occasionally popping in to check on Regan or Rowen.

"I like these better than the tuxes," Ryo confessed. "What did Regan call them?"

"Jodhpuri suits," Rowen answered. He was standing in front of the full length mirror in Sage and Ryo's room, judging his hair's natural cowlick, which he had never cared about until today. He knew Rae would walk out looking like a fairy tale princess, and he wanted to look good for her, too. He couldn't while this cowlick was being a bitch.

"They remind me of our old school uniforms," Ryo continued behind him.

"The look is close," Sage confirmed. He figured Ryo would like it, since there were no ties or bowties to worry about. The jackets were high-collared, with a row of buttons down the center in a military style. They were charcoal gray, with red handkerchiefs tucked into the right breast pockets.

"Where did Kento and Cye get off to?" Rowen asked.

Sage exchanged a look with Ryo before answering, "With Mia." Cye was; Kento was doing a sweep outside the resort. Torrent and Hardrock were now debriefed of the strange creatures seen skulking about the night before. Kento had volunteered to patrol around the building until the last second, while the others were in charge of making sure no one else noticed. Especially not Rowen. He was already getting nervous, and desperately trying to hide it. Sage tugged on his jacket one last time before moving over to Rowen to help him with his hair.

Strata batted his hand away. "I've got it."

"I'm better at it," Sage reminded him. The blond fetched his bag of hair products and went to work.

When Cye and Kento finally showed up a few minutes after one another, and Sage decided that Rowen was presentable, the blue-haired ronin was finally able to lug out a large suitcase from the closet that he'd squirreled away earlier.

"I didn't make these super individual like Cye did," Rowen confessed. "I don't have that kind of time."

"Of course you don't," Cye quipped.

Rowen unzipped the suitcase and sifted through the contents. Nothing was wrapped either, which didn't surprise a single one of them. However, when Rowen pulled out each item and handed it to the appropriate ronin, they realized he had gifted them new canvas duffle bags, all color coded; a deep red for Ryo, pine green for Sage, burnt orange for Kento, and ocean blue for Cye.

"Kento gave me the idea," Rowen explained, "after he dragged out his ratty, ancient duffle for practice. I figured it's time we had something sturdier for training, or whatever you want to use it for."

"These are nice," Ryo said, pleasantly surprised. He already knew he could use it for more than training and keep emergency medical equipment and material tucked away in case he needed. He didn't miss that their names were discreetly embroidered in the material.

"This is really thoughtful," Cye admitted. "Thank you, Rowen."

"And they weren't cheap, so take good care of them," Rowen shot back, but he was smiling. "I don't have a sappy speech in me—I'm saving that for Rae—but you're my brothers. You already know what I'd tell you."

"How are you getting married again?" Kento wondered. It prompted a brief tussle, and then Sage scolded them both lest his job on Rowen's hair get messed up.

* * *

.

The wedding party waited in one of the small, empty conference rooms near the banquet hall where the wedding would take place shortly. Regan's cousins, and a few of her and Robyn's friends who could make the trip all the way out to Japan, moved about in fluttering fabric, saris draped over shoulders and arms, being tucked back into place and perfected. The groomsmen stayed to one side, snacking on the light h'orderves provided by the resort.

Robyn worried at a pleat coming undone, feeling a low level of panic at the thought of this thing unraveling as she walked down the aisle. Saris were beautiful, but they were also just one long big piece of fabric held together by safety pins, pleats, and the will of God. She was so glad they wouldn't be wearing these for the reception.

"Need some help there, Rob?" Kento asked.

"I don't want anyone to make it worse," Robyn replied, a thread of panic in her voice.

"I've got it, babe."

Robyn whooshed out with relief when Jude approached. "What'd you do to it?" he asked.

"Nothing!"

Jude chuckled as he pulled back the sheer, colorful fabric from Robyn's arm and went to pull it away from draping across her front. Robyn's eyes widened; she didn't want her bare midriff flashing with all the other guys _right there_. "It'll take two minutes," Jude reassured her, "but I have to wind it back to fix the pleat." Nevertheless, he turned her so she wasn't facing the guys and members of the Sundari family she didn't know.

"That one," Robyn identified, touching her fingers to his hand to get him to pause at the right pleat. "It feels loose."

"Got it. Kala?" he called, and one his cousins perked up her head. "A pin, please?"

Ryo needed to stop watching. He needed to stop noticing how comfortable Robyn seemed with Jude, of all people, helping her fix her dress. Or how Jude's hands touched her so casually. When they smiled at each other and he said something to make her laugh, Ryo felt a pressure in his chest that was suffocating. When he finished, Jude kept his hand on Robyn's waist while they talked some more. Right by her bare skin. Robyn smiled into his face and didn't move away.

"Dude," Kento said softly. "Raising the temp, man. Cool it."

Ryo blinked, then let out a breath. His fists were clenched, and they ached when he released them. Thankfully, the conference room doors opened, and the event planner stuck her head in.

"We're ready," she said. Paused, then added, "Wow, it's really warm in here."

* * *

.

Regan wasn't prepared for how her breath would hitch at seeing him under the mandap canopy, standing next his best friend and the rest of his team. He looked so tall and devastatingly handsome, his regal face solemn as he spoke to Sage. When he looked her way, she was not prepared for happiness so bright and heavy it hurt to overcome her as his face lit up. He looked so excited to see her. They had been through so much together in the relatively short time they'd known each other. Spending her life with this man would be an adventure she could not wait to embark on.

"No running down the aisle," Jude quipped to her quietly.

"Sorry," she whispered, although her feet wanted to sprint. She squeezed her brother's arm to ground her as she grinned back at her fiancé.

When it was time to give her away, the twins faced each other. "Should be Dad up here," Jude said, his smile sad and wistful. "But I'm honored it's me instead. No, none of that; you'll ruin your eyeliner."

Regan gave a watery laugh and tried not to wipe at the tears in her eyes. They embraced for a long time, and then Jude kissed her forehead and stepped away so his only sister could go to Rowen.

Strata surprised Jude with a clap on the back and a quick hug. He didn't say anything, but he didn't need to; Jude could read the room loud and clear. He cleared his throat and looked down at the floor to collect himself as the ceremony began.

Meanwhile, Rowen didn't see anything but Rae. He'd never seen her in a sari before, and the one she chose was maroon red, per Hindu tradition, the fabric embroidered with a midnight blue hem and leaf-like gold stitchwork. The choli top was midnight blue and gold, and the delicate sari draped over one shoulder and down her arm. The sheer fabric gave him a discreetly sensual hint of her bare midriff. There were sprigs of jasmine tucked into her side braid, which draped over one shoulder. Her happy, pale green eyes met his gaze, and he forgot anything he was about to say. He wanted to drop to his knees in front of her.

"Ready, handsome?" she whispered.

"Before you change your mind and realize you're way too good for me, yes, I am so ready," he whispered back.

"I think you have that backwards."

Rowen scoffed, but his chest was tight with emotion when he reached for her hands and intertwined their fingers. Her hands were trembling. "Don't be scared," he said soothingly. Funny, that; he always thought it would be him who'd be terrified to get married. In this moment, he felt steady as a rock. "I'm right here."

She nodded, her eyes bright. She wasn't scared per se, but didn't want to speak too much in case she started crying. His eyes were so beautiful and warm, with love and humor and everything that made him Rowen. She was more scared of taking care of the gift she was being given than anything else, because he was precious, to her and to the world. She sent a prayer up to whoever was listening: Please, help me keep him safe and loved. "I'm ready," she finally said. "I love you. Let's do this."

He pressed his forehead against hers, mindful of the jewel dropping like a tear from her hairline. "That's my girl."

* * *

.

Rowen didn't see his parents during the ceremony; he didn't see anyone else, really, except the bride before him. He found them afterwards when they had a few hours to spare before the reception that allowed for pictures and for guests to relax and change if they wanted to.

It gave him a pleasant shock, as it always did, to see his mother and father in the same room together, talking to each other. He couldn't remember the last time it happened. Had it been high school?

"Mom? Dad?"

His parents turned to look at him. His mother had been laughing and companionably squeezing his dad's arm, who looked vaguely befuddled to be in a suit and at his son's wedding. "There's my son and daughter! Oh, darlings, look how beautiful you both are!"

Rowen hugged his mother. "Thank you for coming. Dad? This is Regan, my wife." It felt like the heat of a star unfurled in his chest at saying those words.

Regan gave him a dazzling smile and then turned to his parents. "Dr. Hashiba, it's a pleasure to finally meet you."

While the family conversed, the photographer tried to wrangle the rest of the wandering wedding party for pictures. No one could locate Ryo until the very last minute, when he casually trotted in from another room. He spoke quietly to Kento and Sage; no one could confirm where Ryo had gone. When the pictures were taken, both inside and outside, Rowen never noticed how his teammates observed the woods, and then occasionally disappeared throughout the night. The guys made sure the girls didn't notice, either.

Except Robyn did. She didn't know what to make of it, other than good old fashioned paranoia well earned, and decided not to say anything when she saw Kento slip out of the reception hall after dinner. If they were really concerned about something, they would say something. For now, they felt the need to be careful, and she trusted their judgment.

"Who are you looking for?"

Roused from her thoughts, Robyn looked up at the dashingly handsome groomsman she danced with. "None of your business," she teased. Jude rolled his eyes good-naturedly.

He led her into a slow, dreamy twirl. She was never good at dancing, but he always made it so easy to follow his lead.."It hasn't been too bad, right?" Robyn asked hopefully.

"It was a nice ceremony," he admitted.

"Everything is going to be fine. Rae is so, so happy and that's all that matters, right?"

"Right," he sighed.

"And she could have picked a worse husband, even if he's from another country."

Jude said nothing. He wasn't yet ready to admit that he was starting to like the guy. Even if he was someone who knew all of Regan and accepted her for who she was, Jude still wanted to be bitter about this arrangement a while more. Giving his sister away a few hours ago certainly made that easier.

"Everything will work out fine," Robyn repeated.

Jude glanced at his twin sitting with her new husband at the main table. They chatted away like they'd known each other their whole lives. "For her, it's fine anyway. I suppose it's all I could want for her. She is very happy. Look at her. She's so enamored with that guy, it's like we don't exist right now."

"You're always going to be her brother, Jude, and the most important family she has. That's not going to change."

He returned his gaze to the redhead. "I suppose you'll be next to fawn over some foreign guy and forget all about me."

It was Robyn's turn to glance at Regan. "I don't get all twittery over love. That's not me."

Jude actually laughed. "No, it isn't." He suddenly picked her up and spun her around before dipping low. So low, she felt his nose brush below her collarbone. His breath on her skin had her cheeks flush as she was pulled up again. Jude looked very satisfied with her reaction.

"You're not behaving yourself," Robyn warned.

"It's a wedding," he laughed, rubbing his nose against hers. "It's the perfect place to get drunk and flirty, and hook up with pretty girls." His voice lowered as she frowned at him. "And I have a pretty girl in my arms right now, and a nice hotel room all to myself. You're welcome to join me tonight."

Robyn and Jude had many a frank and honest conversation about love and intimacy over the years, including Robyn's discomfort at physical touch. Both in seriousness and in jest Jude had offered to help Robyn get over her hangups in any way she wished. Robyn, of course, never accepted, but it was such an old topic by now it was almost a running joke. At least he wasn't bringing it up in the middle of a bakery.

"It's probably your last chance," Jude continued. His face pressed against her neck. "You should make sure I'm not alone tonight. I'm vulnerable."

Robyn snorted, then outright laughed. "You could get any single woman here, and you know it, you butt. Don't try to make me feel bad for you like you're so lonely."

He pulled away and gave her an amused smile. "I guess I would be more worried about your loneliness. I can see Rowen is blindly devoted to Rae, but these other high school friends of yours, how will I know they'll look after you when I'm gone?"

Robyn nearly laughed again. If only he knew how protective they could be. "It will be fine. They're good people."

"What about the broody one over there?" Jude nodded in a certain direction. Robyn glanced that way to see Ryo standing by himself, darkly watching the dance floor. His hair, which had been perfectly styled for the ceremony, now looked disheveled in an on purpose sort of way, black strands falling into his eyes as he glowered at the dance floor like its presence offended him. Two timid girls thought about approaching him, saw his face, and then quickly went on their way.

"He used to not be so broody. He was so silly and happy in high school. People grow up and he's had a lot to deal with." It made her sad to think back on it. Ryo really had changed; they all had, in a way that she didn't wish for them, but it couldn't be avoided. Not with who they were. "Don't judge him, you don't know his life. I've seen you brood with the best of them yourself."

"I just didn't think he would be your type."

Robyn sighed. She had forgotten that Rae told him about that. "It was just a little crush. I'm over it. We're friends and it's fine."

The song ended and the two pulled away. "Good," Jude said, satisfied. "You're too good for him, anyway."

The comment startled her. Now it was clear Jude really had no idea who or what these guys were. It was actually weird to talk to him now. Robyn had gotten so used to being with the ronins and Mia and Regan. Everyone in the circle knew how amazing they were, what they had done for the world. Jude just saw them as a bunch of punks taking his girls, his family, away from him. She wished she could explain to him, but it was probably better that he never know.

She grabbed his arm, steadying him as he seemed to still be swaying a bit. "Go easy on the booze. How will you hit on all the pretty, eligible ladies if you're blackout drunk?"

Jude scoffed at the suggestion that he didn't know when to quit. Though that didn't stop him from getting himself another cup of whatever the bartender poured for him. He was perfectly fine. He was so perfectly fine that he could still hear that inner voice reminding him, like a broken alarm clock, that he was leaving in two days and he would be leaving his sister and Robyn behind. And no matter how his brother-in-law tried to sugarcoat that reality, it still hurt like a bitch. He carried the drink with him to lean against the wall next to Ryo, a.k.a. Broody McBroodface, without really thinking through why he was doing it.

Jude could feel the irritation radiating off of the other man when he stood by him. It was almost a taste in his mouth; metallic and bitter. Good. Let him be irritated. Jude was sick of looking at them. Sick of looking at all these pretty Japanese boys that apparently were so amazing, girls were just dropping everything to be with them.

He glanced over at Ryo, disgusted all over again. "You don't like me, do you?" Jude said as he peered over his glass.

Ryo said nothing, but continued to frown at him, clearly wondering why the hell Jude came over. Even though he was getting exceptionally drunk, Jude was still quite good at reading people. And something about this sour Japanese jackass just made him want to mess with him.

"Let me guess. You're the de facto leader of your little boy band. You're usually quiet, but when you want something to happen, all your boys just jump to your tune. You like to have control of things. But you don't have control of me and that irritates you. Especially when it comes to..."

He glanced over in Robyn's direction as Ryo glanced in the same direction. Broody McBroodface stiffened and his eyes narrowed. Bingo. He had this guy's number. "She's not going to dance to your tune either. You'd be better off with someone else."

"And she would be better off with you?"

So, he did speak. And with a lot more bite than Jude expected.

" _We_ have a history. You lot had her for a school year. And I may just keep her company tonight because someone already fucked up their chance." Jude side-eyed Ryo pointedly, and the angry reaction he got from the man was so satisfying, he couldn't help but chase it to see how far he could push this guy's buttons.

"You've got this amazing girl and you let her slip through your fingers. Were you even aware she's a virgin? We've done a few things together already, and she knows I'm happy to be her first anytime she wants to. I don't want her to miss out, and this is her last chance. A nice little goodbye gift: the memory of screaming my name all night." Jude meant to say that last thing mentally to himself, but the alcohol made it slip out.

All of the casual chatting, the dancing, the sense of romance in the air—all of it came to a halt as Jude stumbled into a table, holding the left side of his face. Ryo stood over him, fists clenched, practically seething.

"That's enough," Ryo said, voice low and dangerous.

Jude's cheek throbbed where Ryo hit him, but it only infuriated him more. "Enough of what?" he spit out. He went low, aiming for a sucker punch to the gut as payback for the sneaky hit to his goddamn _face_ , but the shorter man was surprisingly agile and strong, capturing his fist and twisting his arm at lightning speed until Jude's knees threatened to buckle.

Before it could escalate beyond a brief tussle that almost upset a dinner table, both men felt their bodies curiously freeze, like a movie put on pause. Ryo's eyes widened, and he found himself instantly looking for Regan—but found Regan and Jude's grandmother standing nearby instead. Apparently the twins did indeed come by their abilities through genetics. The older matriarch was the picture of irritation; hands on the hips of her sari, pursed lips, dark and aggravated eyes. "Out into the hall."

Both nearly fell onto the floor when they gained mobility in their limbs again. They glared at each other, but did as they were told. Ryo felt heat rush to his face when he realized that nearly everyone in the room stared at them as they left. Jude averted his face when he caught his sister's gaze, confused and then crestfallen.

When the banquet doors shut them out into the hall with Jude's grandmother, the smaller woman whirled on them. "Is this how grown men act?" she challenged. "At a sacred ceremony?"

"No, madam," Jude said at the same time Ryo mumbled something similar.

"You." she pointed at her grandson. "You shame this family by striking a guest. You shame yourself by dishonoring your sister on her wedding day." She switched to the family's native language, and Jude cast his eyes down to the floor. Whatever she said sobered him up right quick. She finished with, "You stay out here, ice your face, and let the celebration be a happy one. Come back when you can look Regan in the eye and make amends.

"And you." Wildfire nearly cringed when she aimed her sharp, shrewd eyes at him, so similar to his own grandmother's when he'd been a boy and had displeased her. "Was it worth it, young man?"

Ryo let out a deep breath, his previous anger and resentment cooling, but firing up anew every time he looked at the other man. Even so, embarrassment and guilt worked their way through him. He didn't mean to lose control like that, and he was disappointed in himself for making a scene at his teammate's wedding. "No," he said softly. He bowed to the smaller woman. "I am very sorry, and I will extend my apologies to your granddaughter and my friend."

Regan's grandmother eyed them both severely, and then sighed. "Work it out. Come back inside when you're adults again."

The woman swept away with a flutter of colorful fabric. Jude and Ryo eyed each other resentfully.

"Don't talk about Robyn like that ever again," Ryo warned him. "Like she's a conquest." He hated even saying it.

Jude huffed out a breath, thanked the hotel staffer that handed him an ice pack. "I wasn't watching what I was saying," he admitted. "I love Robyn, I didn't mean it…the way it sounded. But you piss me off." And the fact that he felt like Ryo hadn't even used half his strength to punch him pissed him off even more. How strong was this guy? He was so...short!

"That makes two of us."

"You've been a grouchy asshole ever since I met you, how do you expect me to react to you?"

"Did I hurt your feelings?" Ryo asked sarcastically.

Jude could feel his anger rising again until he spotted bright red hair. He put the ice pack to his face. "Lecture me later, please," he told her as she walked up. "Let me nurse this broken jaw first."

"You owe Rae an apology," Robyn fired back.

"He hit me first!"

"No doubt provoked!"

" _Later_ ," Jude pleaded. "I just need a few minutes and I'll go back in." He waved them off and walked toward the lobby's hotel bar, holding the ice pack against his cheek.

Robyn crossed her arms and glowered at Ryo. "You do, too."

Ryo couldn't hold on to his anger in front of Robyn. "I know," he sighed. He could still hear Jude's taunts ringing in his ear; that he'd messed up, that he wasn't good enough for Robyn, that they barely had a history together, not like what _Jude_ and Robyn had. But that wasn't true. That didn't feel true. Sure, Robyn had been in their lives a brief time when they were teenagers, but she had become one of his very best friends. His buddy that he played soccer with and studied with and expressed some really hard truths to, things that he'd never told anyone outside of his team. She had accepted him and cared for him even after his armor had hurt her. All in that short time, and again when she came back. For Jude to make that seem insignificant hurt. He loved Robyn, too.

He loved Robyn.

Everything clicked into place in that moment. Ryo understood it with such sudden clarity he almost gasped. He'd spent so long hung up on Natsuki leaving him and clinging to the hope that she'd come to her senses after running away that it blinded him to what was right in front of him. He didn't have to chase after someone to love—she was _right there_. And he couldn't fucking stand it when Jude pretended to be that person because _he_ wanted to be that person. _He_ wanted to dance with Robyn even though he was terrible at dancing; _he_ wanted to make cookies with her even though he was a terrible cook; he wanted to love her better, because she wasn't just his friend anymore.

Robyn had his heart the entire time and he didn't even feel her take it.

"Ryo?" Robyn looked at him with worry now. Was he only just noticing that her hair liked to escape any updo it was forced into? Wisps of red hair framed her face, and he thought it was adorable. "Are you okay?" she continued. "I lost you there for a minute. You've been…you haven't seemed like yourself these past few weeks."

"I haven't," he admitted, then cleared his throat because it came out like a croak. "I guess I…Jude said some things that upset me, and to be honest, I've had a hard time warming up to him."

"We couldn't tell," Robyn said wryly. When Ryo flushed a little, she added, "What did he say? I know Jude can be an obnoxious brat, but it's been a long time since someone's punched him for it."

Ryo rubbed the back of his neck self-consciously. His heart was still pounding from the revelation he'd just had. "He clearly cares for you," he said bluntly. "Whatever feelings he has, based on your guys' past relationship…he's not over them and I've just felt like he's tried to take advantage of you or tried to convince you to do something you didn't want to do."

Robyn blinked at him, and then laughed a little, although it wasn't a happy sound. "Oh, Ryo, no. We never dated. Jude doesn't have feelings for me, not in that way. And frankly, I don't either. Did I entertain it, for maybe 60 seconds when I first met him? Sure. But Jude and I have never been anything more than friends, and we never will."

Ryo stared at her. "You don't like him?"

"Not like _that_."

"But you…when you're…"

"The PDAs? Jude and Regan are both touchy people. It's a twin thing. And Jude is just naturally flirty with everyone. Don't worry about it. I'm still perfectly happy being single."

Ryo didn't like hearing that. Because it also reminded him of one minor detail: Robyn _had_ liked him. Had asked him out. And he turned her down.

What the hell was he supposed to do now?

* * *

.

After the minor drama from the fight, the reception continued without a hitch. One ronin at a time kept disappearing every so often, with hardly anyone the wiser, and yet nothing appeared out of the trees. Sage took one final lap around the resort as the night drew to a close, and he was cautiously optimistic. He could sense something out there, but it stayed away, as if afraid of the light and happiness flooding the area. Threatened by it, even. As it should be, Sage thought. But when would it ever make an appearance? How long would they have to wait?

When he walked back down the hall to the reception room, he met Regan out into the hall, coming out of the bathroom. She happily greeted him, then walked with him the rest of the way.

"Thank you for all of your help with today," she told him, squeezing his arm companionably. "And while we're out here, Sage, I just wanted to say that Rowen's home is still yours, too. I know marriage can make things weird, but I don't want either of you to feel like your friendship has to change." She stopped them before they entered the reception hall and looked up at him, her expression sincere and earnest. "You're welcome anytime. Me living there doesn't change that. You're important to Rowen, and you're important to me, too."

Sage didn't know what to say to that, so he let his actions speak for him; he gave her a hug. The strength of her embrace was a pleasant surprise. He couldn't remember the last time someone hugged him like they meant it. "Please know that road goes both ways," he said. "If you need anything—even if it's to vent about Rowen, and if we're being honest, especially if you need to do that—you can talk to me, or any of us. I know you have to leave your brother behind because of this move, but you've gained four more. Remember that."

"Oh, no, don't make me cry," Regan laughed as she wiped her eyes. "At this point, I'll gladly put Jude back on a plane. He was awful tonight."

"We can't choose our family," Sage said as they walked into the reception hall.

"We _can_ choose to cut them out of the will as a deterrent."

Sage chuckled as they returned to the group. The atmosphere was much more intimate this late. Many of the guests had retired for the evening; a few still danced to the slower music playing, but the rest of the ronins and the girls were the main group left sitting together at an abandoned dinner table, finishing off cake and wine.

"There they are," Kento boomed as Sage sat and Regan sat next to Rowen, who wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her forehead.

"Do you need to get that bladder checked out?" Rowen asked Sage innocently.

"It functions perfectly fine," he said smoothly, giving Ryo a slight nod.

"Want some more cake?" Robyn offered as she lifted a small plate with a slice of cake in his direction.

"No, thank you."

"More for us," Robyn said happily, digging into probably her third slice.

When it became apparent that everyone was getting tired, Ryo cleared his throat and raised his glass. "Guys, I want to apologize again for earlier. I didn't meant for that to happen."

"Are you kidding?" Rowen exclaimed. "I'll get to say that there was a fistfight at my wedding. That's awesome."

Regan rolled her eyes. "At the very least, it gave people something to talk about."

"And it was not a monster," Mia added helpfully.

"Hear hear!" Kento called. "Cheers for no monster crashing—only brawling. Can't have a ronin wedding without fisticuffs, can we?"

"And congratulations," Ryo continued before everyone got too excited and he couldn't finish his toast. "Welcome, Rae. Take care of each other. I'm happy for you, Rowen. Still surprised, but happy for you."

They all laughed and completed the toast. When everyone finally retired, Ryo did one last sweep outside.

He felt them out there. He didn't see them. He didn't hear them. But he felt their presence.

Time would only tell what was coming for them next.


End file.
